What Was Left
by Bookworm247
Summary: When one of Naruto's closest friend is found dead, the young teenager finds himself a prime suspect in a serial killer. Meanwhile, the fixated detective, Orochimaru, will do anything to get the truth even if it means using Sasuke as a spy. Sasuke X Naruto. Warning contains: Self harm suicide attempt
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone, I've been wanting to write a story like this for some time now. I've been reading a lot of detective stories lately and it inspired me to write this one. I'm looking forward to writing something a little different, especially not in the ninja world.**

 **Here's a slightly more detailed summary: When one of Naruto's closest friend is found dead, the young teenager finds himself a prime suspect in a serial killer. To uncover the truth, the ruthless detective Orochimaru will do anything to get the truth.**

 **Sasuke x Naruto, one-sided Kiba X Naruto**

 **Warning this story will contain Self-harm, Suicide attempt and character deaths in future chapters.**

 **Disclaimer I do not own Naruto**

* * *

 **Prologue**

Once again Naruto tried to rub his sore wrists only for the steel handcuffs to cut even deeper into his flesh.

On top of being consumed by cold numbness, a thick fog seemed to smoother the teenager's memories of his arrest. Naruto couldn't even recall giving his name to the desk Sargent. Instead of taking the blue-eyed teenager to a cell, he was led to a small room with three male officers. He could briefly recall seeing bright flashes of light while they took pictures of his blood-stained clothing before being ordered to strip. Naruto's orange hoodie and jeans now in evidence men used long cotton swabs inside his mouth and fingerprints were taken. Once they finished taking samples Naruto was given a thin white jumpsuit to wear.

Throughout the ordeal, no one spoke to Naruto except when they were telling him to do something. Immediately after collecting samples, Naruto was roughly shoved into an interview room and handcuffed to the table. One quick glance at his unfamiliar surroundings told the blond he was in trouble. "Just what's gong on," the blond wondered. Everything about this dark room from the flickering lights and tightly handcuffing him to the desk was designed to break a criminal into confessing.

Befoe the blond adjust to his unsettling environment two unwelcome familiar faces entered the room. A tall pale man with long black hair and piercing yellow eyes named Orochimaru. His partner sat in a chair beside him, slightly shorter with circular rimmed glasses named Kabuto. Following procedure, Kabuto turned on the video cameras and recording equipment. "Hello, Mr Uzumaki. It's nice to see you again." Orochimaru greeted.

After Naruto gave his vague version of events, the pair began their ruthless integration. The duo took turns bombarding the blond with the same questions trying to find holes in his story. The agent slammed his palms on the desk. "Enough of your bullshit Uzumaki!" He shouted. "Why did you to go to the victim's house tonight?" The Orochimaru demanded.

Naruto blinked tiredly at the man. Exhausted and hungry the integration had gone on for what felt like weeks. "I've already told you, I can't remember going there," the young blond repeated tiredly.

Orochimaru seemed to recover from his outburst. As the man burst into laughter. "Listen to that Kabuto," he chuckled. "It appears that memory loss is contagious." He mocked turning to his partner.

Kabuto smiled softly. "Yes, Orochimaru-Sama, spontaneous amnesia is on the rise, I hear it's especially rife in police stations." He said.

Usually the blond would come up with a smart comeback, however the relentless questions appeared to have sapped all of his sarcasm out of him. Exhausted and numb Naruto could only sigh at the pair, much to their frustration. "I want my phone call." He said licking his dry mouth. "And a glass of water," the blond added.

Growing tired of going round in circles Orochimaru gently place another crime scene photo onto the desk. Before now all they'd only shown him CCTV footage and played his 911 call. The horrified teenager couldn't take his eyes of the mangled body in the bath tub, the water, walls and floor were covered in his now deceased friend's blood.

Seeing the picture had a visible reaction, Kabuto took the lead this time and began pressing the boy even harder. "Do you like blood Naruto?" Kabuto asked softly. The man slowly rose from his chair and stood next to his suspect. He leaned forward and whispered into the boy's ear. "Did you enjoy watching the life pour out of him?" he whispered.

Naruto's eyes widened with horror at the accusation. This wasn't the first time he'd been accused of murder, but the accusation still shocked Naruto. Horrified by Kabuto's words Naruto's head shot up at the accusation. "I didn't kill him!" He shouted gazing into their eyes desperate to see some sign that they believed him. To the teenager's dismay, his words didn't seem to have any impact. "They really think I did this," he realised.

"Just answer the question, Mr Uzumaki," Orochimaru ordered.

The blond lowered his head in defeat. "No, I don't like blood." He answered.

Kabuto returned to his superiors side, the man adjusted his glasses in surprise at Naruto's answer. "Really, that's strange we have evidence that suggests you do." He said. Before Naruto could ask, the officer took placed a small evidence bag on the table. Inside was a small very bloodied razor blade. "Do you recognise that item?" Kabuto questioned.

For a few heartbeats, Naruto couldn't respond to the question. Terrifying thoughts started to enter the boy's mind. "No, he wouldn't do that, he promised me." He told himself. The shocked teen started at the two detectives both scared and confused. "Where did you find that?" He asked, even though Naruto almost didn't want them to answer.

Ever since he'd been detained both men ignored his questions and request for a lawyer. But this time, Orochimaru seemed all too happy to answer this question. "We acted on reliable intel and got a warrant to search your room." He answered. "We've been watching you for some time now, but it seems we couldn't put an end to your killing spree sooner." The detective almost sounded remorseful.

Instead of denying their accusations, Naruto felt a desperate need to know where they'd got their information from. "What information, who told you?" he asked.

Orochimaru's smile grew even wider. "Oh, that reminds me I think it's about time I finally introduced you to our special agent." He offered. "He's going to sit in on the rest of the interview." The pale man stood up and walked to the door.

When the detective opened the door, Naruto saw a familiar person stood in the doorway. As the person walked inside the blond felt his soul shatter into pieces. "No, not you, anyone but you." He said.

* * *

 **Leaving it there, for now. I hope you all liked the small teaser. If you're interested in following his story please, follow the story, add it to your favourites or if you have the time could you leave a review.**


	2. Bad News

**Hey everyone, here's the first chapter to one of my new stories. I'd like to say a big thank you for the follows and review I really appreciate it. Without further delay here's the new chapter, I really hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Bad News**

As far back as Naruto could remember he'd never been a morning person, many of his friends and family often ended up pulling the blond from under his covers. However, this time, Naruto's light slumber was rudely interrupted by a painfully bright light. Still feeling tired the irritated blond shut his eyes tightly at the bright stimulus. "Kiba, turn the light off." The teen groaned pulling the covers over his eyes to block out the unwelcome light. With the light no longer bothering, Naruto tried to go back to sleep. Just as he started drifting off again the eighteen-year-old boy heard the sound of birds singing.

When he took the covers away from his face, Naruto realised that it was in fact sunlight that had woken him up. "Kiba, time to get up." He called groggily. The absence of snoring and his friend's voice concerned him. "Kiba, come on, you're not still mad are you?" He asked nervously waiting for an answer.

When his roommate didn't respond Naruto slowly rolled over, when the tired blond looked across the room he saw his roommate's bed empty. "Kiba must have stayed at his house last night," he sighed a little. After dragging himself back to campus last night, Naruto sat in his bed waiting for his friend to return until he was overcome by exhaustion and fell asleep in his clothes.

Pulling himself from this blurry memory Naruto turned his attention back to the sunlight streaming through his window. "I wonder what time it is." The blond thought as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Out of habit, Naruto reached for his desk expecting to grab hold of his mobile. His eyes widened slightly when his hand touched an empty space. "What where's my phone?" The blond panicked.

The room swayed a little when he sat up to check the floor. After checking all the usual places; his pockets, under his bed and book bag without any sign of his possession Naruto sat on the bed and retraced his steps. "I know I defiantly took it out with me last night," he recalled. As he sifted through last night's events, the blond soon realized what he'd done. "Damn it, I must have left it at the bar last night." He cursed pulling at his hair in frustration.

Naruto's frustrated outburst wasn't because he couldn't check the time. He also wanted to see if he had any messages or missed calls from Kiba. "What am I worrying about?" He asked himself. "Knowing him I bet he's probably still asleep." He thought smiling when he pictured the dog lover sprawled out on his bed surrounded by his dogs.

Without his phone to tell the time, the young teen moved a pile of clothes to check his hardly ever used alarm clock. As Naruto pushed the last piece of clothing onto the floor he hoped he could get some more rest. But alas his hopes were dashed by the numbers 9:00. Now not only did Naruto feel sick and tired, but now there was no chance of him getting any more sleep, Naruto buried his face into his pillow.

If it wasn't for the fact, he had a lesson that morning the blond would have happily stayed in bed. "Iruka-Sensei is a slave driver," the blond thought to himself. "Why on earth does he want us up so early?" He complained reluctantly pulling himself out of his warm bed.

Naruto quickly pulled off his creased clothes and tossed them on the bed. One of the perks that came with sharing with Kiba was that they were both messy.

As Naruto walked into his on suite bathroom, as he passed the mirror the blond caught a glimpse of the splash of colour on his cheek. Turning back to look again paused and looked in the mirror. "Man, Kiba hit me good this time." He said wincing a little when he touched the sore cheek. After a quick shower, the blond rummaged through his wardrobe, telling himself for the third time he needed to do his laundry.

With his morning routine almost complete, it wasn't long before events from last night came back to him. Without his loud friend's music, and loud banter the room they shared somehow felt smaller. Naruto now regretted walking away. "I shouldn't have let him go off like that," he told himself.

* * *

As the tired blond made his way towards the main building, Naruto thought about grabbing a bite to eat from the cafeteria. "I should really eat something; I didn't eat much last night." He told himself, recalling this detail Naruto couldn't help but wonder if the lack of food yesterday had contributed to his current condition.

Just as Naruto stepped into the building a terrifying thought seemed to come out of nowhere and hit him like a sledgehammer. "What if Kiba tells someone about last night." Gripped by his thought Naruto couldn't bring himself to move, not even being pushed or hit with bags made him budge.

As he pictured his two friend's talking, cold fear swept over him. Naruto bolted out the room and dashed towards. "I need to find Shikamaru, he's the only other person Kiba would tell." Quickly going through his friend's habits Naruto came up with a short list of locations where he could find his friend.

While also being one of the top universities Kohana was just as well known for its beautiful architecture and gardens. Entering spring the cherry blossoms were in full bloom in the picnic area. Normally the scenic spot would be crawling with students, but at this time of the day, the tables and benches were almost completely barren all except one. Knowing his lazy friend well, Naruto ran towards the picnic area. Just as he predicted the blond found Shikamaru lying on a bench staring up at the clouds. "Oi, Shikamaru," he waved.

Now that he had the boy's attention Naruto wanted to see if Shikamaru knew his friend's whereabouts. "Have you seen Kiba this morning?" The nervous blond asked, trying to sound casual as possible.

The laid back teen stretched out. "No, I haven't seen him since yesterday." He answered staring intently at the blond. Whether or not it was the bruise on his cheek that gave him away or something else, Shikamaru always seemed to know when something was on his mind. "Don't tell me, you two had another domestic last night." He guessed rubbing his temples. "What was it about this time?" The teen asked, expecting to hear an exaggerated story about homework.

To prevent Shikamaru from learning all the details, Naruto skilfully dodged the questions. "It doesn't matter if you see Kiba just let him know I need to talk to him." He said walking away before his friend could get suspicious.

Unfortunately for the evasive blond, his sharp friend wasn't about to let the matter drop that easily. "If you need to talk to Kiba that badly, then why don't you just call him?" Shikamaru asked.

For once Naruto had a perfectly reasonable explanation. "I can't, I lost my phone last night," Naruto mumbled.

Shikamaru couldn't help but facepalm at his careless friend's actions. "I should have known, you've lost so many phones that the lost and found is going to run out of the room." He said reaching into his back pocket and pulled out his own phone. "Here use mine," he said, handing the blond his phone. "Just try not lose mine." He teased.

Naruto smiled and tapped in the password and called Kiba's phone. The phone went straight to voicemail, "hey it's Kiba, please leave a message after the….." the recorded message was interrupted by loud barking. "Akamaru no I'm…beep" Instead of leaving message Naruto hung up. "With Shikamaru standing here, it's not safe to leave a message." He thought to himself. "No answer, but thanks." The blond said handing back the mobile back to Shikamaru.

"Let's just go and call on him." The laid back teen offered.

The blond's eyes widened at his friend's suggestion. "No, I'll go see him during lunch. I'm sure he's just sleeping off his hangover." Naruto said. "Besides, we should probably get to class before Iruka Sensei skins us alive." He joked.

Shikamaru gave him a sceptical look, but whatever the teen suspected he seemed too lazy to peruse it. "Yeah, you go on ahead and Choji asked me to help him finish his homework." He said.

"Ok, I'll save you a seat." He promised before running off to class.

As Naruto slowly made his way his first class, the blond began thinking of a way to talk to the dog lover before Shikamaru did. "All I need to do is get to Kiba first, as soon as this class finishes I'll just run to his house before Shikamaru can get there." Now that Naruto was armed with a plan, the teen felt his anxiousness die down a little.

* * *

The classroom was almost empty apart from a few students who were too focused on their textbooks and laptops to notice Naruto's presence. On a normal day the loud blond would make an entrance but today the teen quietly took his seat and waited for his two friends to arrive.

As time passed more students piled into the room quietly talking amongst themselves as they went to their usual seats.

Without his friends to keep him company Naruto sat quietly, never took his eyes off the door and watched the other students take their seats. When the last of the stragglers arrived with no sign of the duo Naruto started to wonder where his two friends were. "What on earth is taking Shikamaru so long?" He asked looking at the clock his friend was cutting it close. "Crap he's got less than five seconds to get here, or Iruka Sensei will go nuts." He thought to himself. Out of all the staff that worked at the college, Iruka was well known for being one of the strictest teachers at Kohana college,

Right on cue, a tall brunet with a long scar running across the bridge of his nose walked into the room. No matter what season it was the man always arrived at the same time every morning holding a cup of coffee. "Good morning class, please take out your textbooks and we'll continue where we left off last week." He ordered, never pausing as he began to write on the board. "Ok, who can remind us what we learned last time?" He asked.

While Iruka went over last week's subject, Naruto paid little attention. Far too worried about his friend's whereabouts to listen. "There's no way Choji would take this long to copy a few notes." The blond thought. It was at that moment Naruto realised what his friend had done. "Shit, I'll bet Shikamaru went to Kiba's." His breathing began to increase as panic started to set in. "If I'm going to fool Iruka-Sensei I'm going to need to make it look good." He told himself. Once Naruto felt ready the blond raised his hand. "Iruka I feel a little sick, I'm just going to see the nurse," He groaned, holding his stomach for good measure.

The teacher abruptly stopped writing on the board and gave the blond a steely look. No matter how many times he'd seen this look, it never failed to make him feel uncomfortable "It's like he's staring right through me." Naruto thought to himself, bowing his head to avoid eye contact. So far Iruka had quashed all of his previous escape attempts, Naruto couldn't help but wonder if the teacher could read his mind. "Nice try Mr. Uzumaki, sit down and pay attention." He ordered, going back to writing on the board.

With his lie rumbled, the defeated blond reluctantly sat back down. Rather than paying attention to Iruka, Naruto spent the entire lesson staring at the door expecting Kiba and Shikamaru to burst in and drag him out of the class. "I'll bet they're both on their way here right now." To make matters worse his distracted state didn't go unnoticed.

Every time Iruka turned to check his class the sharp-eyed teacher spotted the blond staring off into space. After warning his absent-minded pupil for the sixth time, Iruka finally lost his patience. "Naruto, see me after class," he ordered. Just then the door opened Asuma Saratobi stepped inside.

"Iruka, I need to speak with you for a second." The heavy smoker explained.

Iruka gave his colleague a polite nod. "Carry on reading that chapter while I talk with Mr, Saratobi." He said as he left to talk to Asuma privately. As soon as their teacher stepped out the room, numerous teens began murmuring amongst themselves and pulling out their phones. Out of habit Naruto reached into his pocket but remembered his mobile wasn't there. "Damn it." The frustrated blond sighed. Naruto watched his classmates checking their devices with envy. "I wonder if Kiba's told Shikamaru yet." He thought to himself.

Less than two minutes later Iruka returned to the classroom, as well as valuing punctuality his dislike for mobiles was just as well known among students. Everyone froze as they waited for the man to seize their property, but in a shocking contrast, the strict teacher didn't even scold the class. "Naruto, I need you to collect your bag and come with us please?" He said gently.

Without saying a word, Naruto quickly shoved his workbooks into his bag and walked to the front of the class. As the blond walked to the door he was very aware that his whole class was staring at him as he left the room.

As the trio walked down the empty corridors neither teacher spoke to him as they lead the anxious blond towards the headmaster's office.

* * *

From the second Naruto stepped into the headmaster's office, the perspective teen quickly sensed the tense atmosphere. The familiar feeling made the young blond, if Iruka and Asuma weren't blocking his exit, Naruto would have bolted out the room and never looked back. As soon as Asuma closed the door behind him the room a deathly silence fell with only the sound of the clock.

Minutes ticked by before the headmaster, Hiruzen Saratobi, finally broke the silence. "Please take a seat, Naruto." The old man said gently.

Still feeling anxious Naruto almost refused the request, but something in the old man's eyes made him think better of it. The nervous teen placed his bag on the floor as he sat down. Hiruzen sighed heavily another wave of silence descended.

While he waited for someone to speak, Naruto observed his surroundings.

"Where is everyone?" The teen asked himself. During his short journey to the office, Naruto expected to see Kiba and his guardian waiting for him. But instead, he saw only Shikamaru sitting beside the headmaster smoking a cigarette. Naruto's azure eyes narrowed when he saw the usually carefree friend's pale face. "Somethings not right, gramps doesn't even let Asuma-sensei smoke on the grounds." This small detail alone tipped Naruto that something was wrong.

At last, the headmaster spoke again. "There's no easy way to say this, but I'm afraid I have some bad news." Before the man got the chance to deliver the news Shikamaru suddenly came to life.

"No, I'll do it. He needs to hear it from me." Shikamaru insisted stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray.

Naruto couldn't help but notice the slight tremble in his friend's voice. After feeling anxious all morning, the blond finally snapped. "Tell me what, will somebody please just tell me what's going on?" The blond demanded. None of the adults reprimanded the teen for his outburst.

Shikamaru drained away all of his confidence.

Saratobi's eyes seemed to shine with tears as he finally delivered the bad news. "I'm so sorry Naruto, but your friend Kiba was found dead this morning."

Once those three words left the man's mouth, Naruto felt his whole world come to a standstill. Just two hours ago all the blond wanted to do was find Kiba and talk to him. Now that anxiousness was replaced by confusion and disbelief. "Wha….what did you say?" the blond asked at last barely recognising his own fragile voice.

His friend sighed softly. "Kiba's dead," he repeated. "After you left I kept trying to contact Kiba, I still couldn't get hold of him, so I went to his house, he wouldn't answer the door so I picked the lock and that's when I found him…" He described.

Before could the shaken teenager could reveal any more details the headmaster jumped in. "That's enough for now, I know you've had a huge shock this morning Shikamaru." He said softly.

Shaking himself out of his daze Naruto refused to accept that his best friend was dead. "No it's not possible, they must be wrong." He told himself. "But Kiba can't be dead, I just saw him last night. Are you sure it was the right house?" The desperate blond when he saw both Iruka and Asuma bowed their heads. He couldn't stand the way everyone was looked at him with pity.

The headmaster quickly put any doubts out of his mind. "I wish I could say it was, but his body was identified at the scene." He said sadly, for the briefest of moments the old man looked at Shikamaru.

Naruto's shoulders sagged as the truth sank in. At least a hundred questions and scenarios began to play out in the teenager's head. But one question stood out among all others, swallowing hard Naruto asked the first question that everyone would be asking. "How did Kiba die?" The blond asked.

Before anyone could answer Iruka spun round. "We can tell you the details later," his teacher said gently. "But for now, I think you both need to take some time off. We've already contacted your parents, they're on their way to collect you, and we'll arrange some counselling for both of you." He offered.

Still reeling from the shock, Naruto almost didn't say anything else, but then Iruka mentioned counselling. It wasn't unusual for when a student died to suggest it, but the way Iruka directly looked at him reignited his curiosity. "Now I know they're keeping something from me." He turned to the only person that would tell him the truth. "Shikamaru what happened?" He asked carefully.

Not even Shikamaru seemed willing to tell him how his best friend had died. When no one answered his question Iruka tried again to change the subject. "Naruto now's not the time, just wait a little longer and then….."

At last, Shikamaru spoke. "Save your breath Iruka," he said coldly. "You know Naruto well enough to know he won't leave this room until he finds out. Besides it's better he finds out here rather than on his own." He added.

Not giving up, Iruka turned to the headmaster desperation in the teacher's eyes. "Saratobi-Sama, I strongly disagree with this, we should wait and let Naruto's guardian answer his questions." Iruka insisted.

Saratobi looked and Iruka and the at Naruto. "Normally I would agree with you Iruka, but Shikamaru is right. Although I'm going to stress that he doesn't disclose too many details at this moment," he finished Hirizen finally the old man relented and gave a short nod to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru gave a small nod to show he accepted the terms. Although the tremors had all but stopped, the paleness still hadn't left Shikamaru's features. "Naruto, Kiba committed suicide."

* * *

 **Ok, I'm leaving it there. I'm so so sorry for killing off Kiba in the first chapter. But I promise he will still remain in the story to some extent.**

 **I know this chapter is a little shorter compared to what I usually write, but fear not the next chapter will be longer. If you liked this story and want to see what happens in the next chapter, follow and add the story to your favourites.**

 **If you have time, please leave a review.**


	3. First Impressions

**Hey, everyone. Big thank you to everyone for reviewing the last chapter I really appreciate it. This chapter was a little more changeling to write for more than one reason.**

 **I'm so sorry it took so long to update, this chapter was a little more changeling to write for more than one reason.**

 **Warning: This chapter does contain a very small hint of self-harm.**

* * *

 **First Impressions**

To prevent his expensive car from overheating while he completed his business, Sasuke Uchiha decided to park his car in the shade of a tree. that sunny morning the first few shopkeepers were just setting up for the day. At this time of the morning, the street was virtually empty apart from a few early morning shoppers. While most people would have found the solitude uncomfortable it suited pale-skinned teenager perfectly, as useful as his good looks could be at times they were also a curse.

Much to Sasuke's dismay, not everyone overlooked his presence, as the handsome teenager walked passed a group of girls Sasuke could already smell their raging hormones. "And so it begins," he thought.

Sasuke didn't even get two feet when he heard what sounded like a bird being tortured. To drown out the girls unbearable squealing Sasuke slipped his earphones on and became absorbed in his music. With the soft tunes playing in his head the journey seemed to fly by. Just when the raven thought he'd managed to get to his destination without incident someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh great one of them followed me." Sasuke thought grouchily. Ready to turn the girl down Sasuke spun around to see not a girl but a teenager with long brown hair and unusually pale eyes.

"I never thought I'd see you here at this time of the morning." Neji teased.

Sasuke took out his earphones to talk to the slightly older teen."I don't really have time to talk to him, but at least it's not a fangirl." He thought, giving the boy a small smile. "Hey Neji, what are you doing here?" He asked genuinely surprised to see him out this early.

The teen gave a half shrug. "Nothing special, I needed to restock on some stationary," He said holding up a shopping bag.

Sasuke and Neji continued to make small talk until he found the right moment to leave. "I'll meet you up with you later, I'm just going to grab a coffee before I head back," Sasuke announced.

Neji smirked at the raven's comment, after knowing Sasuke for some time the brunet knew when the Uchiha was trying to avoid him. "You're a terrible liar Sasuke," he pointed out. "I just hope that whoever you're meeting knows about your obligations," He said.

Unshaken by his friend's accusation Sasuke explained his sudden need for the hot beverage. "It's nothing like that," he denied rubbing his eyelids tiredly. "I did some extra studying last night and I lost track of time. I just need a shot of caffeine before start this morning," Sasuke explained gruffly. "Besides, even if I was on a date I wouldn't take them to a coffee shop, as you already know." He pointed out playfully. When Sasuke looked back he saw the brunet giving him a disapproving look.

"You shouldn't replace a good night sleep with a sugar rush you'll end up falling asleep in class. Sleep deprivation is bad for your mental health as well." Neji warned.

Sasuke waved off the older teen's concern. "I'm not going to have a psychotic episode just because I missed a few hours sleep." He promised.

Knowing his words would have little effect Neji just rolled his eyes at Sasuke's bravado. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you Uchiha's are invincible," he joked. "Enjoy your date, call me when your free and I'll meet you for lunch." He said walking off.

Sasuke watched Neji leave until the teen gradually disappeared into the crowd of people. "Looks like he didn't suspect a thing." He thought as he made his way to the coffee shop. To ease his boredom the black haired teen often put his teacher's lessons into practice. One of the first things Sasuke learnt about deception is the best lairs mostly told the truth. It was true that Sasuke hadn't slept well and really was going to the café. During Sasuke's conversion with his unsuspecting friend, he'd only lied once; he wasn't buying a coffee.

* * *

Once Sasuke stepped inside the small café the teenager was hit by the warm smell of freshly brewed coffee. To make himself look less suspicious the raven ordering himself a small tomato juice, while he patiently waited Sasuke discreetly scanned the room searching for his appointment. Sasuke took his caffeine free drink and joined with the two men seated.

The taller man stopped eating his eggs and greeted Sasuke warmly. "Sasuke-Kun, I'm so glad you could make it. Sorry for calling you at such short notice, I do hope I'm not disrupting your education in any way." He said, extending his pale hand.

Sasuke smirked as he shook the man's hand. "It's no trouble luckily for you, I had a free period this morning," he replied. "But then you already knew that didn't you?" Underneath the formal greeting Sasuke had already begun analysing the infamous homicide detective

Ever since he'd been a child Sasuke had admired the detective. Whenever Orochimaru was involved in a case Sasuke would follow the course of the investigation right up to the end.

Standing at five foot Orochimaru was only slightly taller than himself with straight black hair and pale skin that would put even the most antisocial vampire to shame. Despite the man's odd appearance, the homicide detective was every bit as intimating as he looked on TV articles. It wasn't his height or pale skin that caught Sasuke's attention was the adult's golden eyes that seemed as if see into his soul. Most people remembered him for his ruthless determination and integration tactics.

In the seat next to Orochimaru sat his partner Kabuto Yakushi. The man couldn't have looked more different to his superior with his tanned complication and glasses. "So that's his partner." The raven thought to himself. Despite all of his efforts last night, Sasuke knew very little about the onyx eyed man apart from he'd once been a medical examiner before changing careers one year into his studies.

Sasuke highly doubted that the two detectives wanted to share a coffee with him.

Once the raven took his seat Orochimaru cleared his throat. "The reason I called you here is because I need your help with something," he began.

As much as it pleased Sasuke to be in the company of his idol and partner, the cautious teen couldn't imagine why a seasoned detective would need his help. "I'll see what I can do." The raven said calmly.

From the look on Orochimaru's face, he'd given the right response. "Very well, since you're a student at Konoha University, I'm sure you're already aware of the recent tragedy." He started.

This time, Sasuke answered with a small nodded. It was safe to say that Kiba Inuzuka's sudden death hit the whole university hard. Even after three weeks, Sasuke could still vividly recall the afternoon the headmaster ordered an assembly and delivered the bad news. It wasn't long after the news when students began asking how Kiba died, it wasn't long afterwards that circumstances behind his classmate's death were released.

While teachers and students alike mourned, Sasuke carried on as usual. Despite being in the same class for nearly two years, black-haired teen knew next to nothing about his classmate. Out of respect, he'd signed the condolence card, but since he wasn't close to Kiba the raven didn't attend the funeral. "Kiba was one of my classmate's, but I didn't know him very well," he admitted, with nothing to give them two men Sasuke expected his meeting with the pair would be short.

Far from disappointed, Orochimaru looked remarkably pleased with his answer. "Even so, I'm still very interested to hear what he was like." He seemed to pick up on Sasuke's suspicions. "I just need your statement for my final report." He explained, Kabuto took out a pen and paper.

The teenager's eyes narrowed with irritation. "I see, so he just wanted to tie up loose ends. He didn't need to drag me out here to do that." He thought darkly. Although slightly disappointed Sasuke still answered the questions. "He was a bit of a class clown, liked dogs, I know his family train and breed police dogs." He answered blankly.

Orochimaru gave a short nod while his partner quietly jotted down the details. "Thank you, I have just one last question. In your honest opinion did your former classmate appear depressed in the days leading up to his death?" He asked never taking his golden eyes off him.

There were many reasons he'd chosen Kohana University to study, making friends wasn't one of them. To avoid any possible distractions Sasuke all but isolated himself, unless he was required to work in a group the anti-social teen barely mixed with his classmates. "I like I said, we weren't friends, that's all I know." He finished standing up.

As he went to leave, the perceptive teen couldn't help but notice the look of disappointment on Orochimaru's face. "Leaving already, that's a shame and just when I was to tell you that none of Kiba's family believes their son killed himself," the homicide detective revealed checking over his partner's notes.

If the detective's obverse psychology tactic was to get him to stay it worked, Sasuke sat back down and gave the man his full attention.

With Sasuke now more interested, Orochimaru continued. "Of course, it's not uncommon for grieving families to deny and look for another explanation to explain their child's death. I myself have seen this behaviour many times," he said.

"Your point is?" Sasuke prompted, hoping he'd just get to the point.

For the first time since entering the cafe, Sasuke finally caught a glimpse of the famous long tongue as the detective licked some egg yolk off his pale lips. "As you're already aware, it's standard procedure for me to interview family and friends. Everyone I've interviewed so far has all said the same thing. 'Kiba would never kill himself in front of his dog.' By all accounts, the victim adored his dog." He revealed.

Now Sasuke finally understood his idols intention. "He's testing me, but why?" He wondered. Rather than he was going to find out. "Is there any physical evidence that suggests foul play?" He asked.

Orochimaru turned to Kabuto. "This is where my partner comes in." He said.

Kabuto placed a single photo on the table.

A cold shiver went down the Uchiha's spine when he saw Kiba's lifeless body lying on the morgue table. As part of his studies his teachers often used real crime scenes photos in class, but looking at a picture of someone you knew was a different matter entirely. "I wasn't expecting them to show me potential crime scene photo." With the two men watching his every move, Sasuke suppressed his unease and carefully studied the photo. "Forensics isn't my area, but the bruising around the neck does suggest suicide." He said.

Kabuto smiled softly at Sasuke's answer. "Very good Sasuke-Kun," As much as it annoyed him, Sasuke decided to endure Kabuto's patronising tone for now. "You're correct, during the autopsy, along with the bruising the pathologist found petechial haemorrhaging in the eyes which supports the cause of death was asphyxiation," he finished.

Expecting more information Sasuke waited for the former medic to continue.

During this short pause, Orochimaru appeared to be losing his patience. In a blink of an eye, the calm detective switched into investigator mode. "Think Sasuke, a teenager, with no prior history of mental illness or depression suddenly kills himself. What's the first thing you would ask the family?" He pushed.

Even without the detective's subtle hint, Sasuke's own instincts were telling him he'd missed something. Struggling to find an answer, the raven examined the photo again hoping to find the missing piece. "They have the rope and the body. Apart from the families denial, everything points to suicide…..oh how could I be so stupid?" With the answer staring at him right in the face, Sasuke felt embarrassed for overlooking such a crucial detail. After composing himself Sasuke "Where's the suicide note?" He asked.

Orochimaru's thin smile returned. "Very good, there wasn't one. Of course, not everyone leaves a note. Well done for noticing that but I'm afraid you overlooked another detail." He pointed out. "Kabuto, why don't you tell dear Sasuke-Kun what he missed."

Much to Sasuke's annoyance Kabuto seemed all too happy to point out his mistake. "It's difficult to make out with all the bruising, but if you look more closely you'll notice the rope and the ligature marks do not match up." Kabuto pointed at the neck.

Sasuke studied the marks again and quickly realised the man was right. "Looks like he was strangled with a thin cord than a large rope." He pointed out. "Our friend down in the morgue became suspicious so he took a sample of Kiba's blood. A few hours later he discovered Kiba's blood alcohol was three times over the legal limit. There's no way he'd be able to stand let alone hang himself even by accident." Kabuto concluded.

From Sasuke's point of view, both detectives had collected more than enough forensic evidence to open a case. "If you already know this is a murder then why are you talking to me?" Sasuke questioned.

The pale detective laughed. "See Kabuto, I told you he was good." He joked, elbowing his less than an amused partner. "While it's true we have strong forensic evidence that proves murder, My superiors still ruled the death as a suicide," he spat.

Before his partner could lose his temper Kabuto jumped in. "We didn't think it was fair to bring any unnecessary heartache to the victims family," the former medic explained. "There's also the small matter of protecting the universities reputation. I'm sure you of all people can understand that we need to handle this matter as discreetly as possible." The former medic pointed out.

Sasuke finally understood why he was needed. "So that's it, Orochimaru doesn't have the resources to carry out a proper investigation," the raven concluded taking a mouthful of his drink and swallowed the sweet juice. "So you want me to pick out a suspect." The raven guessed.

Orochimaru shook his head. "Come now, even a shut-in nerd could tell me that the victim more than likely knew his attacker." He pointed out. "To put it short we already have our suspect." He said placing another much smaller picture was put on the table.

Upon looking at the picture, Sasuke immediately recognised the tall teenager with blond hair, Azure eyes, tanned skin and three whiskers on each cheek. Naruto Uzumaki.

As much as Sasuke respected Orochimaru, the raven couldn't help but chuckle at his prime suspect. "You really think that idiot is capable of that?" He asked, trying his hardest not to laugh.

From the look in Orochimaru's eye, he didn't seem to share his amusement. "What I am about to share with you is the only piece of evidence we've been able to salvage." He said taking a mobile phone waving it in Sasuke's face like a man waving a treat in front of a dog. "We checked the victim's messages and found nothing of interest, but it's the last voice mail that caught my attention."

As Sasuke listened he heard a voice on the other end sounded a little slurred. "Figures you'd be too cowardly to answer your fucking phone." The teen cursed. "I'm tired of keeping your bloody secrets. We've all been there for you helped you through your fucking problems and you go and do this again." There was a soft thump suggesting Kiba had slumped into a chair. "First thing in the morning I'm going to tell everyone we'll see how you like that!" The message cut off.

With the little evidence he'd been shown and a possible motive Sasuke began to form a possible scenario in his head. "So you think Naruto heard this message and went to Kiba's house. There is a struggle and Naruto ends up strangling Kiba to cover up whatever he was going to tell." Sasuke guessed. "and then made it look like a suicide."

The pale man nodded. "We estimate the victim was killed sometime after 12 o'clock in the evening," Orochimaru stated.

Sasuke shot down the detective's theory. "I'm not buying it, he's in my classes, but he's, clumsy, loud, and a complete idiot. From what I hear Naruto barely passed the entrance exam. There's no way he'd be able to come up with a plan like that." The raven revealed confident in his answer.

Orochimaru frowned at his answer. "Don't let your arrogance cloud your judgement.," he warned. "It doesn't take a genius to kill someone. Anyone can be a murderer even the class clown can do it if push comes to shove. Never forget that." He urged.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up his face a little. "Passing that entrance exam is no picnic. With his knowledge in crime scenes we believe Naruto Uzumaki is more than capable of carrying out a murder and covering it up." He added.

"If you already have your motive and suspect then what do you need me for?" Sasuke asked bitterly.

The homicide detective smile until his lips formed a thin line. "What I really need someone on the inside, putting an untrained teenager undercover would be too dangerous. Not only do you go to the same university but you're also in the same class as our suspect. I want you to watch Naruto Uzumaki." He explained.

"You'll take all the credit I'm guessing." Sasuke guessed.

The pale man's eyes widened slightly. "I never had you down as a glory hound," Orochimaru said sounding amused.

Fame didn't interest Sasuke in the least, his family name alone could get him attention if he wanted it that badly. He could already picture the media frenzy. "As soon as they see the name Uchiha in the papers, people would be more interested in him than a murderer." Before the bitter memories could swamp him Sasuke went back to business. "No, it's better for the investigation if I remain anonymous. The only thing I want to know is that it won't harm my career." As much as he wanted to jump at the chance Sasuke wasn't about to risk his future.

Orochimaru's eyes softened slightly. "Help me get a conviction and I'll write you a letter of recommendation to any precinct you like," he promised pushing the phone and document across the table.

When Sasuke left the cafe the once empty street was now bustling with people, talking on their phones and window shopping. The raven waited until he got to his car before letting the moment sink in, thanks to his clever parking it was cool inside.

Now that he was alone, Sasuke began to smile as he stared at the beige file. "Finally, some real work." He thought flicking through the small report. When Orochimaru sent him a text message to meet up with him, the raven couldn't why the homicide detective had wanted to meet him. As soon as it became clear the pale man was testing him Sasuke kept up his stoic appearance knowing that showing any emotion no matter how small would've undoubtedly ruined his chances.

Even now the raven thought he was going to wake up at any moment and yet here he was holding an official police file and a second mobile.

His heart and mind were racing with excitement. The raven leaned against his seat and started at the small file marked confidential. "First things first, if I'm going to study Naruto then I need to get close as I can." Sasuke pondered about this small hurdle for a brief moment before coming to an obvious solution. "It's going to be a pain, but it's the only way I can spy on him without raising suspicions." Daunted by the prospect the raven sighed heavily, before taking out his own mobile and dialled a number.

* * *

On the same beautiful morning, Naruto spent the first part of his day sat on the edge of his bed holding a photo of Kiba. Apart from going to the bathroom and eating, the blond barely left his room since his best friend's sudden death.

After spending hours staring at the photo Naruto gripped the frame tightly with frustration. "Come on, why can't I feel anything?" The blond asked himself. No matter what the teen tried the cold numbness refused to disappear. Desperate to feel even the smallest emotion, Naruto spent the last few weeks remembering every moment he'd spent with Kiba right up until the funeral.

It wasn't at all surprising to see the church packed full of people. Not only did most of his classmates attended, but also police officers came to show their support to Kiba's family. To mourn his young friend was hard enough but what made the service even harder was watching Kiba's beloved dog Akamaru. It took some doing but Kiba's mother's eventually convinced the vicar to allow Akamaru to attend the service. When Kiba's coffin was carried into the church, the huge dog started to whine and cry hysterically. When they set the coffin down the grief-stricken dog lay down beside his master and howled.

Akamaru's behaviour reduced everyone to tears, while Naruto found himself unable to shed a single tear. "Maybe I deserve to feel like this," the blond thought placing the photo beside his parent's picture.

As Naruto brooded over this thought when his bedroom opened suddenly. Jiraiya stepped into the room carrying a tray of food. "I brought you up some breakfast," his guardian explained gently setting the tray down on the bed.

"Thanks." Naruto murmured taking a small bite out of toast.

As caring as Jiraiya could be at times, Naruto knew he hadn't come just to give him breakfast. Sure enough, after an awkward silence, the writer revealed his true motive. "Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Naruto hadn't seen his guardian this worried in a long time.

As much as the blond didn't like seeing his guardian this way, Naruto knew he couldn't hide away forever. "I can't afford to stay off anymore, if I fall behind anymore then I'll be expelled." Naruto pointed out.

To Naruto's immense relief, Jiraiya seemed to accept his reason. "You don't have to stay there; at least consider moving back here with me." He offered. "I can always drive you."

Naruto turned down the kind offer. "No, it's fine you're busy with research. I can't let your deprived fans wait any longer for your next perverted novel can I?" He joked forcing a small smile.

The man smiled a little. "Seems like you've already made up your mind, that's ok I know better than to try and change it." The smile lasted a second before going back to being serious. "If things get too much just call me even if it's the middle of the night I'll come and get you." He promised.

Their touching moment didn't last long, and Naruto's attention was soon drawn back to the two pictures on his bedside table. "I know you don't really believe in it, but do you think Kiba's with them?" He asked almost expected Jiaray to laugh at him.

Instead of mocking him like Naruto expected his godfather actually seemed to mull over the question. "If Kiba is with your parents then he's in good hands, I'll bet your mother will probably fuss over him and bombarded the poor boy with questions. Your father will more than likely have to save him a few times I'll bet, that's if they can pry Kiba away from the dogs…." He stopped when he saw Naruto's face fall.

While picturing his friend surrounded by a pack of dogs his heart clenched for a brief second. "I better get going," He said standing up. "I'll text you when I get there." The blond promised.

* * *

Founded by Hashirama Senju, Konoha university quickly became one of the most prestigious schools in the world, equipped with training facilities and a newly built medical block. The universities mainly specialised in training the next generation of police officers, doctors, and forensic scientists. When Naruto first walked through the front gate he'd felt overwhelming pride and determination. That day both Kiba and Shikamaru were waiting to greet an ever growing pile of bouquets, candles lay at the front entrance along with a picture of Kiba. Naruto had heard about the temporary memorial; he'd planned to place a bouquet but every time he tried the blond lost his nerve.

That day both Kiba and Shikamaru were waiting to greet an ever growing pile of bouquets, candles lay at the front entrance along with a picture of Kiba. Naruto had heard about the temporary memorial; he'd planned to place a bouquet and message but every time he tried the blond lost his nerve. "Kiba would have loved to see this." He thought sadly.

Before walking onto the grounds, Naruto pulled his orange hoodie over his head. "Hopefully, no one will notice me," he didn't want people his head down. All people would stare and whisper behind his back. Thinking about this Naruto suddenly regretted his choice in clothing. "I should have just worn black today." He told himself.

With lessons already underway and his meeting with Kakashi and Saratobi not for another half an hour, Naruto was at a loss. "I could always go to my room and unpack," he told himself. The very thought of returning to the place where he'd spent countless evenings with Kiba filled the grieving teen with dread. "I guess there's no rush, I could grab a bite to eat before I go to the meeting." Naruto raced off to the cafeteria and bought himself a small box of noodles. As waited in line the sharp blond heard the two student's behind him whispering.

"Isn't that the guy who knew Kiba." She said quietly.

Her friend gave a soft mumble. "They weren't just friends, they also shared a room together." She confirmed.

Naruto could hear the girl omit a soft gasp at the revelation. "No way, do you think he noticed that his friend was depressed?" She asked unaware that Naruto could hear every word.

Sick of hearing the pair's conversation Naruto quickly paid for his meal and dashed outside to escape from the stares. He soon found himself in the picnic area. By now the cherry blossoms had started to fall since the last time he'd been there.

Usually, Naruto could consume a bowl of his favourite meal in minutes, but his encounter in the cafeteria had ruined the blond's appetite. After a few minutes of playing with the noodles in the box, Naruto threw the half-eaten meal in the bin. "It could be worse," he told himself.

"Naruto."

The blond couldn't help but flinch at the feminine voice. "Typical," he thought slowly turning round to see his childhood friend, Sakura Haruno standing behind him.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," he waved giving the pink-haired girl the best fake smile he could muster. Apart from Choji and Shikamaru, Sakura was one of the few people Naruto considered his friend. Smart and caring it wasn't a complete surprise to the blond when she decided to train as a doctor. Since starting her training the girl had become even more of a mother hen.

The blond braced himself for the young woman to start lecturing him about his eating habits, but to Naruto's surprise and shock Sakura said nothing and embraced him tightly. "I'm so sorry about Kiba," she said softly, "I've been meaning to come and talk to you at the funeral, but I…" the blond felt his friend tremble slightly in his arms.

It was bad enough he couldn't cry but now it seemed not even his friend's warm hug could cut through the numbness. Naruto stood there for about two minutes before he finally hugged Sakura back. "I bet Sakura-Chan had no trouble grieving. Know her she probably cried for hours." Before he could dwell on it too long the blond shook this selfish thought from his mind. "It's ok Sakura-Chan," he said at last.

Unfortunately for Naruto, Sakura was one of the few people that could see through his mask. "Listen here you better look after yourself, make sure you eat properly or I'll break down your door and shove food down your throat." The girl threatened, waving her finger in the blond's face. "Now I've watered all your plants for you and cleaned your room." She said

So far Sakura was the only person not treating him like he was going to fracture into a million pieces. "I will Sakura-Chan, thank you for taking care of my plants, sorry about the mess," he apologised rubbing the back of his head. "I better go; I need to meet up with Kakashi and gramps before class." the blond explained.

"I could come with you if you like." Sakura offered.

As much as his friend's kindness touched him Naruto wanted to do this alone. "Thanks, Sakura-chan, but I don't want to make you late for class." He said as she giving him one last hug.

After saying goodbye to Sakura, Naruto slowly made his way towards the headmaster's office. During the short journey, Naruto was soon thankful that Sakura couldn't see him now. "It's ok, it's just a meeting." He reminded himself. The last time he'd walked this path the headmaster told him about Kiba's death. As Naruto sat outside the office flashbacks came pouring back to him.

Before the panic could set in, the anxious blond began taking deep breaths to calm himself. Naruto wanted to run to the bathroom not because he felt sick. It was stressful times like this when an old habit rose its ugly head. "No, No, No, I can't do that again I promised him." With his breathing exercises failing to work, Naruto ended up repeating the mantra over again in his head. Just when he was about to bolt a when he heard the familiar lazy footsteps approaching him. "Isn't it a little early for you, the meeting hasn't even started yet," the teen joked.

The blue-eyed teen looked up to see his sensei, Kakashi Hatake, walking down the corridor. Despite the fact, his perverted teacher covered most of his face Naruto easily recognised his teacher with his with gravity defying silver spiky hair. Ever since Naruto had met the man he'd never seen his sensei without his mask or his trusty make-out-paradise novel. "Hey, Naruto fortunately for you I took a map with me this time." Kakashi greeted. For once his homeroom teacher wasn't late and the pair went in together.

Before the two could talk the headmaster's door opened and the pair walked in together.

* * *

Apart from a few new piles of paperwork on the desk the headmaster's office looked exactly the same since the pair had been in the room. Just like the last time Saratobi sat behind his desk. "Hello Naruto, it's good to see you again." He began, the warm look faded a little. "I know it's been a difficult time for you these last few weeks," Saratobi said gently. "I'd understand if you wanted to take a break for a year and come back to finish your studies."

After enduring weeks of never-ending numbness, Naruto felt his first real emotion in weeks. The blond's blood had started to boil when the teen slammed his fist on the desk."No! it's been my dream to join this university." He shouted. "I worked my ass off to get here, there's no way I'm letting you kick me out now!" He shouted throwing glares at the headmaster.

While Saratobi didn't even flinch at the teenager's outburst, Kakashi's visible eye widened with shock. "Naruto, calm down," he ordered sternly. "I'm sorry Sara.."

Before Kakashi could finish apologising Hiruzen shook his head. "It's alright Kakashi," he reassured.

Although he didn't look it now, years ago the headmaster had once been one of the Konoha's top detectives, working on some of the highest profile cases in history. Following in his predecessor's footsteps, Hiruzen retired and became a teacher at the university. Shortly after Tobirama Senju's unexpected death, he became the headmaster. "I'm not trying to force you out Naruto, you ever need to talk, please use one of our counsellors and my door is always open if you need me." He said gently.

"Can I go now?" The blond asked.

Once Hiruzen dismissed him, both Naruto and Kakashi left the office together. As soon as he stepped out Kakashi wiped out his book. Now they were on their own Naruto expected his teacher to lecture him about losing his temper. "It won't last," Kakashi promised reading his book.

He'd grown tired of hearing everyone saying the same thing. He could still feel hot anger churning inside but the numbness was steadily returning. "I know, Iruka's told me the stages of grief. Besides, it's not like I haven't grieved before." He pointed out a little harsher than he meant.

To Naruto's relief, Kakashi either didn't notice or care. "There's no script for grief." He continued. "No matter how many times you lose someone; it never feels the same. Not everyone cries right away after a death. It's perfectly normal to feel numb for a while." "All I'm asking is don't push your friends away." He said.

"How can talk to them when they don't understand, no one does?" He thought.

On the way back to his dorm he bumped into the last people he wanted to see, Choji and Shikamaru. Before the pair could practise their integration skills on him the teen beat them to it. "The meeting went fine, I just had to pick up some homework." He lied, with little else to do at 3 o'clock in the morning Naruto did all his homework.

Naruto couldn't tell if he'd convinced Shikamaru, but Choji appeared to believe him. "Really that's all, why don't you come to the cafeteria with us and we can help you catch up. I'll treat you to lunch." Choji offered while Shikamaru stood quietly next to him.

Despite not feeling hungry their kindness still touched him. "Yeah thanks, but I already ate so you don't have to…" The blond froze mid-sentence and studied his friend's behaviour. Firstly, Shikamaru wouldn't look at him directly. Secondly and more importantly Choji never offered to pay for a meal. "What's going on?" He asked darkly.

Just like that day, it was the silent Shikamaru that delivered the news. "I told you it was pointless, it's not like Naruto's not going to find out." He said before looking at Naruto. "Before I tell you, don't freak out because there's something you need to know." he began.

The calm quiet afternoon was abruptly ruined when Naruto stormed into the boy's dormitory. Any student's unfortunate enough to be in the blond's path wisely jumped out of the irate teenager's way. His promise to Shikamaru lasted all but five seconds. Fuelled by adrenaline and anger, Naruto barely noticed his burning muscles as he sprinted towards his destination. "How can they do this?" the blond demanded as he charged up the stairs.

Choji barely got a few feet before giving up the chase, Shikamaru made the easy decision to leave his less athletic friend behind and continue to pursue Naruto. After putting in some effort the teenager eventually caught up with his blond friend. "Naruto calm down, if you go in there all guns blazing the headmaster could suspend you" He warned, hoping his words would be enough to die away Naruto's anger. Sadly for Shikamaru his warning's fell on deaf ears.

Naruto didn't care about consequences at this point. "I don't care, Kiba's barely even been buried and they moved in that jerk!" He screeched.

Despite his brave attempt to keep up with the blond, Shikamaru quickly ran out of steam and leaned against a wall to catch his breath. "What a drag," the teen panted while Naruto ran up the last flight of stairs.

As Naruto approached his room the Azure-eyed teen saw it was already open. Without even pausing to knock Naruto marched inside.

Just as Sakura promised his room had been cleaned a pile of clean clothes lay neatly folded on his bed. The sharp-eyed blond noticed his plants were watered. In a depressing contrast, Kiba's side of the room was barren, his posters of his favourite band and pictures of Akamaru were removed.

The other thing spoiling the room was the unwelcome guest. Sitting on Kiba's old bed was none other than the pretty boy himself Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

 **I'm leaving it here, for now, this chapter was so much fun to write…well beside the funeral scene. Originally I planned to write it as a flashback but it just didn't seem to fit.**

 **The scene with Orochimaru and Kabuto was the most challenging scene but also my favourite bit to write. I had to rewrite that scene about six times to get it right.** **I know not much happened in this chapter but I promise it will get more exciting soon.**

 **Thank you so much for taking the time to read my fic. Don't forget to review, follow and add this story to your favourites.**


	4. Ground Rules

**Hey everyone, a huge thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter. I'm so glad you're all enjoying the story.**

 **Sorry for the break, I've bee a little busy reading a few new books.**

 **Just a small note: A huge thank you to cutiepie0812 I couldn't thank you or reply to your question so I'm putting the answer on here instead. Firstly, Thank you so much for taking the time to review all the chapters, and Naruto's interview in the prologue hasn't happened yet.**

* * *

 **Ground Rules**

While most of the boys fled to safety, a few brave students gathered outside the room in the hopes to see Sasuke and Naruto fight some were even taking bets. "Fifty bucks says Sasuke kicks that losers ass." One of the onlookers wagered.

To the crowd's disappointment, neither boy started hitting one another. Instead, the rivals were engaged in a silent battle. Neither teen was prepared to break eye contact and admit defeat.

During Naruto's sprint, the enraged blond had rehearsed hundreds of insults and comebacks to hurl at Sasuke. But the second the orange-clad stepped into the room, his voice seemed to fail him completely. "What's wrong with me?" He asked himself. Ignoring the raven completely, Naruto swept the room frantically searching for the slightest sign that Kiba had once lived there. "It's like they've already wiped out his existence," he thought as another wave of anger engulfed the teen.

Just like always Sasuke couldn't seem to resist gloating even if it was a small victory. "What's the matter usuratonkachi, cat got your tongue?" A couple of onlookers sniggered at Sasuke's taunt.

Naruto's jaw clenched with fury at Sasuke's comment. "That fucking bastard!" Clenching his fists was the thing Naruto could do to stop himself from punching the smug Uchiha in the face.

On top of being a jerk, everything about the Sasuke screamed perfection from his impeccable grades to his flawless appearance. While the blond wore bright orange hoodies and scruffy blond hair Naruto never saw the Uchiha without his short-sleeved white shirt that didn't have the slightest crease and simple black trousers. From the very first moment they'd met Naruto instantly disliked the stuck up raven.

"He doesn't belong in here!" Naruto seethed. Without saying a word, the blond grabbed his gym bag and stormed passed the crowd.

Absorbed in his thoughts, the nineteen-year-old tuned out of his surroundings. For once Naruto didn't hear the other students whispering or notice their stares watching his every move. Even as Naruto walked away from the emptiness still haunted him. "I don't care how rich his family is, Sasuke's not Kiba and he never will be!" More images of Kiba bombarded him the teen increased his pace. By the time Naruto reached the top of the stairs Shikamaru was just dragging his exhausted body up the last few steps.

The first thing to greet the lazy teen when he got to the top was Naruto storming towards him with a sports bag over his shoulder. Naruto's immediately pace set off alarm bells. "Oh please don't tell me he's done something stupid." Shikamaru's fear quickly turned to relief when he looked down the hallway and saw Sasuke standing outside the door apparently unscathed. "Well, at least he left Sasuke alive." He sighed this moment of relief didn't last long as his friend walked past him again. "Where are you going now?" Shikamaru asked grabbing his friend's shoulder.

Naruto roughly pushed his hand away didn't pause to answer his concerned friend's question. "None of your damn business so don't bother chasing after me this time." He spat.

Now that he knew Naruto hadn't done anything stupid the cool-headed teen tried to calm the situation. "Oh come on don't make out you're that pissed about the arrangement." As soon as each word left his mouth Shikamaru regretted saying it. His guilt only multiplied tenfold when Naruto abruptly stopped walking and spun around and gave him a hurt look.

At his own mistake. "Look I didn't mean it like that…." Before the teenager even got the chance to apologise Naruto was already running down the stairs and out of earshot. Too exhausted to chase after Naruto a second time Shikamaru slowly slid to the floor. "What a drag I really fucked that up." he sighed to himself.

A few minutes later Choji joined him on the floor. "So did it go ok?" He asked offering his best friend the crisp packet.

The teen rolled his eyes at the question. "Sasuke's still alive and breathing so that's something I guess,"he replied taking a chip. Before he even took a bit out of the snack Shikamaru already started assessing the situation. "If this keeps up people are going to start asking questions, Choji's not blind either he's bound to pick up on something sooner or later," He thought. Sure enough when Choji finished swallowed his mouthful of food his friend started asking questions.

"Shikamaru, I don't really understand why you didn't want Naruto to know in the first place, I know he can be a dunce sometimes, but it's not like he wasn't going to notice Sasuke leaving with him." Choji friend pointed out. "Anyway what's the worse that could happen, Naruto's not going to get himself expelled, he cares too much about his dream to throw that all away over Sasuke," he added munching on another crisp.

While Shikamaru was close to Naruto and Kiba, the teen considered Choji to be his closest friend. Although he trusted Choji with his life, Shikamaru didn't want to drag his gentle friend into the drama. "Trust me Choji, it's a lot more complicated than you think." Just then the sound of his friend's munching stopped. Concerned Shikamaru turned to his best friend.

It was rare for Choji to stop eating. "Kiba was always better at calming Naruto down, I wish he was here now," Choji said sadly.

It was moments like this that, Shikamaru really missed Kiba. Usually, he could come up with a strategy to solve a problem in minutes, yet despite his talent for leadership, he never seemed to know how to deal with Naruto. "Yeah me too," Shikamaru said solemnly.

* * *

Miles away from the university, Kohana police station was bustling with activity. The building was equipped to handle anyone from shoplifters to cold-hearted murderers. there were days when the silent corridors would suddenly become noisy without warning. with the constant sound of phones ringing, suspects screaming as they were dragged from the interview rooms.

Amongst the commotion, both Orochimaru and Kabuto tuned out all the noise and breezed through the corridors without batting an eyelid. "That was a refreshing lunch, Sasuke may not be as gifted as his brother, but I must say the boy is sharp," Orochimaru said sipping his coffee cup.

After endured over an hour of listening to Orochimaru droning on about Sasuke's deductive skills, Kabuto was barely listening to his partner anymore. "Yes, it was an interesting meal, to say the least," Kabuto mumbled under his breath as he followed his partner back to their joint office.

However, as much as Orochimaru wanted to devote all his time to hunting down criminals he still needed to keep up with his never-ending paperwork.

Before the pale man tackled this mundane task he needed to make a phone call. "After everything I've seen so far, I'm fascinated to see what Sasuke will do first," he thought to dial the number. With so many contacts at his disposal, it wasn't going to be too difficult for the seasoned detective to keep an eye on the inexperienced teenager. In a matter of seconds, Orochimaru checked the raven's progress and once again the teenager didn't disappoint. "Oh really thank you, my friend, no that's ok I won't need to contact you again." With his curiosity, satisfied Orochimaru finally sat at his desk. "It seems like our young Sasuke-Kun doesn't hang around he's already moved into our suspects room." He revealed turning on his computer.

Kabuto stopped writing and turned his attention to his partner. They'd barely left Sasuke an hour ago and already the teen's actions were concerning him. "Don't you think he's being a little reckless, Naruto might suspect something?" He warned.

He'd appeared alongside his partner during countless press conferences and TV interviews gave the general public the illusion that his colleagues and superiors alike supported Orochimaru throughout the investigation, but behind the pictures and the handshakes it was a different story. Many of Kabuto's colleges didn't approve of his mentor's unorthodox tactics. The only thing more famous than Orochimaru's long tongue was his patience. Once those golden eyes locked on to his next prey, the man would lay in wait until his unsuspecting prey made the slightest mistake and then strike. This fearless reputation earned himself the nickname 'The Snake.'

In a short amount of time, Kabuto quickly came to respect the detective for tenacity and his frightening ability to get inside a suspect's head. In all the years they'd worked together Kabuto didn't question his partner's tactics even when his actions went against the rules.

could see the tale-tell signs beginning to surface. "Once Lord-Orochimaru becomes fixated there's no stopping him, but things are different this time, not only do we have next to no resources and as if that wasn't bad enough Kiba's family are unaware their son has been murdered,"

Before the former medic confided in his mentor, Kabuto wisely shut their office door. "That should be enough to stop any eavesdroppers," If just one person overheard their conversation it could end both their carriers hopped.

As soon as the door creaked shut the sound of frantic typing came to an abrupt stop. "Something on your mind Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked not looking away from his computer.

Any other time Kabuto wouldn't dare question his superiors decisions, but this time, the ex-medic didn't hesitate to share his concerns with his mentor. "Orochimaru-Sama, before I can commit to this case I need to know why you're so sure that Naruto Uzumaki is our murderer?" He asked.

Orochimaru slowly pushed his chair from behind his desk. "What is this, do you still doubt me even after everything I've shown you?" He accused leaning back in his chair.

Before answering any question Kabuto himself before giving an answer especially when it came to his short-tempered partner. "I don't doubt that Kiba was murdered, and I'll admit that the last voice mail does raise a few questions, but how can you be so sure Naruto Uzumaki is the one?" Even after carefully choosing every word the ash-haired man still prepared himself for his partner's wrath.

But to Kabuto's surprise and immense relief his mentor's expression softened slightly. "Don't look so tense Kabuto, I guess I can't really blame you for doubting me. That old fool banned you from accompanying me that day so how could you possibly know what I know." He put in.

"Then tell me, what is it you saw in the boy?" Kabuto asked.

"Here, this should put an end to your doubts." Orochimaru said, pulled out a tape recorder and pushed play.

* * *

On the night Orochimaru was first tasked to oversee the seemingly obvious suicide on a different night his superiors might have given the task to someone else, but at the time they were short staffed and had no choice. Less than a minute after stepping onto the scene, the victim's mother demanded to speak with him.

Just as his colleagues had warned him, Tusme Inuzuka was a fighting woman. "Can't you incompetent idiots see my son's been murdered." The woman demanded. "He'd never kill himself with Akamaru in the house!" She yelled.

There was a time when the parent's emotional outburst might have affected him but not now.

Despite all the evidence proving otherwise, Orochimaru reluctantly agreed to take the victims the mobile phone to check the last messages. The first time the pale detective heard the drunken voicemail his nature demanded to know what the slurred message meant. It wasn't until the pathologist reported his findings that Orochimaru finally decided to look into the death.

At that moment, Orochimaru had nothing to go on except for the strange voicemail. But the one thing the experienced homicide detective knew for certain, the victim knew his killer. The best place to start looking was at Kohana University.

While he was required to interview all of Kiba's associates, there was just one person that interested the homicide detective.

Even before he'd even laid eyes on Naruto Uzumaki, Hiruzen Saratobi banned Kabuto from attending the informal interview. Instead of teenager's guardian, Kakashi Hatake was sat beside Naruto instead.

The silver-haired man waved at him warmly. "I'm afraid Naruto's guardian couldn't make it this morning, so I'm going to sit in instead," Kakashi explained.

The ex-special ops presence angered the pale man, but Orochimaru kept his cool. "Of course that's ok," He said looking at Naruto for the first time. "Hello Naruto, I'm just going to ask you a few questions, but this isn't a formal interview, so you're welcome to leave at any time." Orochimaru began.

"You understand right Naruto, if it gets too much, we can stop and we'll do this another time," Kakashi reassured.

Naruto looked at his sensei and gave a small nod. "Yeah I get it Sensei," he said quietly.

Without any more interruptions, Orochimaru pulled out his tape recorder and placed it on the table.

Alarm flashed in the teenager's eyes when he saw the small device. "Why do you need to record this?" He asked quickly.

Naruto's sudden nervousness excited the man. "It's just so I can record what we've said, that way I won't need to talk to you again," Orochimaru explained pushing play.

Learning to read body language was an indispensable tool that all detectives needed to master. After conducting countless integrations over his career, Orochimaru could detect even the smallest hint of deception. As soon as the pale detective laid eyes on Naruto, something felt off about the teenager. The eyes were always a good way to judge someone's honesty.

Even with all the restrictions put in place, this wasn't going to stop Orochimaru from getting the truth. "Many of your classmates tell me that you were quite close to Kiba," he said making a point to empathise the past tense. "So, I was wondering if you could tell me a little about him."

The teen looked lost as he tried to answer the question. "Yeah, I've known him since I was twelve." He started. "We've been in the same class together all through school and here."

Although this wasn't news to him, Orochimaru still managed to fake his surprise. "My that's a long time, sounds like he was a very good friend to you over the years." When the detective glanced in Kakashi's direction again, he noticed the instructors face soften. With Kakashi's guard down, the snake seized the moment. "This is my chance," he thought. "When was the last time you saw Kiba?"

Kakashi's visible eye looked in his direction. "I thought you said this wasn't a formal interview. Why would you need to know Kiba's last movements?" Clearly, the instructor was giving him a stern warning.

Without his partner there to assist him Orochimaru felt weakened. "If I screw this up they'll never let me talk to the boy again, I'll have to tread carefully from now on." As much as he wanted to throw the interfering instructor out of the room. "I'm just trying to establish what happened the night leading up to Kiba death, it's required for my final report." He answered coldly then looked back at Naruto.

Like most of the interview, the Azure-eyed teen avoided all eye contact and started at his coffee cup. "Yeah I was with him that night, we decided to go to the bar in town." He answered quietly.

Orochimaru already detected the small signs. Every person he'd spoken to so far had described the pair as inseparable, but this teen wasn't or shed a single tear. The lack of emotion alone gave him enough cause to suspect the blond, but a more important detail caught the sharp-eyed attention. Naruto hadn't once said Kiba's name. "What's the matter too guilty to say your victim's name?" They'd only questioned the boy for roughly three minutes but already Orochimaru was dying to interrogate the boy for real. "Did you both have a nice time?" He asked.

"I guess so we left at around ten o'clock." He explained

The homicide investigator found himself slipping back into an integrator mode. "Why did you leave so early?" He never took his eyes off the anxious blond as he struggled to answer the simple question.

Naruto seemed to hesitate before he answered. "I….didn't stay that long because I could feel a migraine coming on that's why we left early." He said.

For the first time in years, all of Orochimaru's training started screaming at the homicide detective to walk away now and go through the proper channels. But these warnings were drowned out by his thirst for the truth urge to quench this need. "It wasn't very nice of your friend to just abandon you walk home on your own while you were sick," he pointed out.

Naruto didn't hesitate to jump to his friend's defence. "It wasn't like that!" he yelled. "Kiba had a few drinks before we left, I don't know maybe he just didn't notice. He didn't live that far from here so perhaps he just decided to walk to his house instead and that was the last time I saw him." He answered slowly.

This small outburst was the first genuine emotion he'd seen since they'd started talking. Learning from his past mistake, the detective listened to his instincts. "Yes that does make sense," He said. The next question was on his list. "Did Kiba try to call you during the night?" He asked already knowing for a fact he had.

For the second time, Naruto didn't seem to want to answer the question. "I don't know I lost my phone," he said sadly.

Orochimaru struggled to resist the urge to laugh at the pitiful lie. "How convenient," he thought. "That's unfortunate, but at least you got to say goodbye," He finished.

Those last words seemed to finally push the emotional teen over the edge. "What good is all this, he's dead, why can't you all just leave it alone? I've had enough of this load of shit!" He stated standing up and all but ran out the room.

Even when the teen stormed out the room his eyes followed the riled teen all but ran out of the room. "You got away this time, but the next time we meet you won't escape." He vowed. Before Orochimaru turned to face Kakashi he could already feel the man's stare boring into his back. Just as he thought the instructor's features gave nothing away. "Always the picture of calm." He noted licking his lips.

"Did you get the answers you needed, or will you need to speak to Naruto again?" Kakashi asked stiffly.

It wasn't too hard to imagine a less experienced man being intimidated by Kakashi's obvious cold attitude towards him didn't faze the man at all. "No, I think I got everything I needed." He smiled tidying up his small pile of papers, "I'm not done just yet, I still have one last student to interview." The patient adult had saved the best till last.

* * *

Stared out the window watching the people below walk by living their ordinary lives. "I'm telling you Naruto Uzumaki is our murder," he said.

Although Kabuto hadn't been there, he could hear the deception in Naruto's voice. He had to agree that the boy's behaviour did sound suspicious. "Alright, I can understand now why you're so convinced about our suspect. But I still can't why are you entrusting your most important case to a nineteen-year-old boy. Sasuke's barely out of school," the former medic pointed out.

"You just leave Sasuke to me," his partner responded.

Whenever his partner set his sights on his prey he never let go. "It's been a long time since I've seen Orochimaru-Sama this fixated, whatever he saw in Naruto is bothering him. Until that day comes, the least I can do is help him," he reasoned. "What do you want me to do?" He asked.

Even with Kabuto by his side detective still needed to tread carefully, if anyone got wind of their investigation they'd put a stop to it before it got off the ground. "It seems there was an assault at the bar where our victim was drinking last night," he said handing him the report. "While you're following that up, I want you to talk to the staff and see if they saw anything that night, once you're done with that I want you to check the CCTV from the bar that night and follow our victim's journey home." He ordered.

Kabuto gave his partner a small nod, even so, the homicide detective wasn't looking forward to trawling through hours of CCTV footage. "I'll do it, but It would help if I had an extra pair of eyes." He hinted.

Orochimaru turned and gave his young partner an amused look. "You know full well we can't exactly rope in anyone at the moment as much as I'd love to stay behind and help you I can't." He explained.

"Where are you going?" Kabuto asked.

"I'm just going pay a visit to the archives there's something I want to check. I'll probably be down there most of the day." Before Kabuto could argue, Orochimaru closed the office door.

After meeting Naruto, couldn't shake the idea he recognised the blond. "I've seen that boy somewhere before."

* * *

Knowing his teacher's were already worried about him, Naruto decided that storming into the headmaster's office wasn't an option. Instead. the teen decided to burn off his anger on the running track. The teen didn't stop running laps even when his legs and chest began to burn.

On his way back to the campus his stomach started to growl. "Maybe I should have eaten that ramen pot after all," he thought. Exhausted from the workout Naruto dragged his heavy body to a nearby bench.

While he caught his breath back Sakura came to join him on the bench. The pair said nothing for a little while. When the last of his anger subsided Naruto finally spoke. "I'm gonna guess that Shikamaru sent you?" Naruto said at last.

Sakura turned sharply. "Nobody sent me," she snapped. "Everyone's really worried about you?" She said firmly. "Haven't you got your new phone yet?"

The sheepish teen scratched the back of his head. "My bad Sakura-Chan, I only just got my new phone and I haven't added all numbers to it yet," he explained taking out the new device.

Sakura rolled her eyes and snatched the phone out of Naruto's hand and began typing in numbers with lightning speed.

While the medic punched in the numbers Naruto felt more comfortable talking to Sakura about his problem. "It's like he was never there," Naruto said glumly.

Sakura paused and looked up from the phone. "Do you mean Kiba?" She asked carefully.

Caught off guard Naruto couldn't suppress his flinch this time. "I know it sounds strange, but it's like everyone's trying to get rid of him." He admitted.

A glint of understanding crossed her features. "That does explain why you're so upset about Sasuke moving in, but that's not his fault or Saratobi-Sama's. They couldn't exactly leave the room empty for the rest of the year and after what happened not many students would want to live in that room." She pointed out.

At first, Naruto wanted to shoot back her claim, but as Sakura's words slowly sunk in the orange-clad slowly accepted his friend's reasoning made sense. "I guess you're right, but it just really pisses me off that Sasuke thinks he can just do as he pleases without a second thought for anyone else." He seethed slamming his fist on the bench.

Used to Naruto's temper Sakura remained calm until it was safe to continue. "Are you sure that's the only thing that's bothering you?" She asked carefully. "While I was looking for you, I bumped into Choji this afternoon and he told me that you haven't spoken to Shikamaru for weeks." Her green eyes filled with concern.

He'd been friends with the lazy teen just as long as Kiba they'd barely gone a day without speaking to each other even when they had an argument, they'd always end up apologising by the next day. Naruto knew better than to lie to Sakura. "It's just been hard after everything that's happened that's all, Shikamaru was the one that found him that day I just didn't know what to say." He admitted.

For a moment, it looked as though Sakura didn't have an answer until at last, she responded. "Try not to worry too much about Shikamaru, he hasn't mentioned anything to me about it. I know he talks to a psychiatrist regularly" She reassured handing back the phone. "Here, all our numbers are in there now, so no more excuses." She waved her finger at him.

"Is there anything else I can do?" She asked.

Naruto gave a soft laugh to her offer. "Not unless you can make Sasuke invisible," he joked.

A bead of sweat rolled down Sakura's head. "Be serious for once!" She yelled. "How on earth do you expect me to pull that off, I'm training to become a doctor, not a magician!" The girl went to punch her friend in the shoulder but stopped midway. In the space of a second Sakura's expression softened and tucked a lock of her pink hair behind her ear. "Naruto, could you do me a small favour?" She asked sweetly.

Whenever the girl spoke like this it always unnerved Naruto and with good reason. Out of all Sasuke's fangirls, Sakura was by far the most determined. Her obsession with Sasuke was only rivalled by Ino. For most of the year, Sakura had tried, without success, to find out personal details about the raven. "That depends on, what do you want me to do?" He said cautiously.

Sakura played with her fingers as she prepared herself to ask the question. "Well, now that you share a room with Sasuke I was wondering if you could…"

Before Sakura even got the chance to get her point across Naruto jumped in. "Oh no don't even think about it, I'm not doing it Sakura-chan." Before the guilt could set in Naruto started walking away from Sakura.

Far from looking hurt turning Sakura down only seemed to make medic in training even more determined. "Please Naruto, I have to know these things, what food does he like, what cologne does he use, does he sleep with a teddy bear and what shampoo does he use?" The girl demanded keeping up with Naruto's increasing pace.

Naruto broke out into a full sprint in an attempt to escape from the girl. "You can forget it Sakura-chan, It's bad enough I have to share a room with that jerk, don't ask me to spy on him too!" The very idea of watching Sasuke day and night. "Next you'll be asking me to get a lock of his hair…." As soon Naruto saw the star-struck look on Sakura's face he immediately regretted turning around. "No, don't even think about it." He didn't even wait to hear the rest Sakura's argument before running away from his friend.

Despite Naruto's resistance Sakura refused to admit defeat. "Naruto! I demand that you put your godfather's peeping skills to good use!" She ordered chasing after him.

"Oi don't put me in the same league as that perverted hermit!" he yelled back increasing his speed towards the dormitories, Weather it was because of exhaustion or Sakura's manic state but suddenly staying in a room with Sasuke didn't sound so bad. "If this keeps up I'm going to have to move into the gym," The blond thought to himself.

* * *

Away from all the drama, Sasuke just about finished making himself at home. It hadn't taken the raven long to unpack his belongings. Among his possessions was a small selection of clothes, books and a personal laptop was hung up in the wardrobe. All his clothes and school books were neatly put away.

For now, Sasuke welcomed the solitude and it gave the raven an opportunity to hide his second mobile, "Even Naruto's not stupid enough to not notice the second phone." He thought to himself. After experimenting with a few possible locations the raven knelt down beside his bed and cut a small hole in the side of his mattress. once he placed the phone inside he pulled the bed sheet over. "Perfect I can find it easy enough and have quick access in case Orochimaru calls me, plus the chances that anyone will accidently stumble across it are pretty low." He calculated.

With the extra device now safely tucked away, Sasuke sat at the small desk and pondered over his next move. Now that the euphoria had worn off, the weight of his task was starting to sink in. Other than being told to spy on the blond, Sasuke wasn't completely sure what he needed to do next. "I can keep an eye on him during class without too much trouble, but if I start following him around the campus too much I'll more than likely be spotted." He reasoned.

Shikamaru's strange comment to in the hallway caught his attention, Naruto struck him as odd. All manner of theories began forming he started shifting through some of them. "Ether Naruto wasn't getting on with Kiba before his death or Shikamaru knows something." He concluded. But the raven still wasn't quite convinced about Naruto's guilt yet.

As soon as he heard the ring tone, Sasuke almost ran to his bed. But the raven stopped when he realised it was just his brother messaging him. _"Hi Oto, I hope you're settling in alright. Make sure you eat right looking forward to seeing you this weekend."_ Sasuke snorted at the message and put the phone down.

Just then Sasuke heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. "So he's finally decided to show himself." He thought. Naruto stepped into the room returned the smell of sweat Sasuke suspected his classmate had gone for a run. Another silent standoff between the pair, but thankfully it lasted only a few seconds. This time, Naruto spoke first. "We'll divide the room, I won't invade your space if you don't invade mine," The blond reasoned.

As childish as Naruto's proposal sounded, Sasuke had to admit that the simple arrangement made sense. "That suits me just fine, however, I have a few of my own rules." He stated calmly.

"Ok fine what are they?" Naruto grumbled leaning against the door.

"Firstly, keep your things on your side of the room, if I find any of your belongings in my personal space, I'll throw them out," he warned. "Secondly, I don't want you eating those repulsive instant noodles in the room and thirdly don't bring any of your girlfriends to stay during the night not that you even have one." He mocked.

Instead of arguing about his rules, like the raven expected, Naruto just shrugged. "Fine, I'll keep the room clean for you." The blond silently walked to his closet pulled out a long sleeved pyjama set. "I'm going for a shower." He announced grabbing a towel and locking the bathroom door behind him.

A few seconds later the raven could hear the shower running. "Well, that was easier than I thought," Sasuke noted. With the boundaries set in place, the raven turned his attention back to a more challenging matter. "Now where do I begin?" He thought.

* * *

The small bathroom suite came equipped with a toilet, shower and a sink.

No matter how hard a day he'd had the shower always seemed to wash his troubles away. As he soaked under the warm spray Naruto went over his new roommate's rules. "I'll do my best to keep the room clean, but if that neat freak thinks I'm going to stop eating ramen he's got another thing coming." He resolved. Naruto paused for a moment at the time it hadn't registered but now teen couldn't help but chuckle a little when he thought about it. "Well at least I can't break the third rule," he thought with a sad smile.

Naruto paused for a moment and laughed at the time it didn't register but now the blond couldn't help but chuckle a little when he thought about it. "Well at least I can't break the third rule," he thought with a sad smile.

* * *

 **Ok, that's it for this chapter.**

 **After writing a lot of sad scenes it was refreshing to write a little bit of humour** **. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my fanfic, if you want to find out what happens next please follow and add the story to your favourites and if you have the time please leave a review Thank you.**


	5. Back to Basics

**Hey, everyone, first of all, I'd like to thank everyone for all your kind reviews, I really appreciate it.**

 **Really hope you enjoy this chapter because I had a great time writing this one.**

* * *

 **Back To basics**

Iruka couldn't recall a time when he'd been so nervous. Despite arriving well ahead of time, Iruka kept checking his watch every few seconds. "There's nothing to worry about," the instructor told himself. "Once I explain my concerns to him, I'm sure Saratobi-Sama will do something." With his confidence restored, Iruka confidently approached the headmaster's office door.

As the instructor went to knock on the door, he found himself hesitating. "Am I really doing the right thing?" He asked himself. "No, there's no other way." A few seconds later, Iruka heard a voice calling him. With permission to enter Iruka calmly entered the headmaster's office. "Good morning Saratobi-Sama," he greeted warmly. "Thank you for agreeing to see me."

Just like always, Saratobi welcomed Iruka with open arms. "Good morning Iruka, it's no trouble. Would you like a cup of tea?" The headmaster offered.

"No thank you Saratobi-Sama," he declined.

Just as Iruka went to sit down, he heard a familiar lazy voice. "Don't be so shy, Iruka-Sensei. A fresh cup of tea will help calm your nerves."

The instructor let out a soft groan"Oh no, not him." Sure enough, when Iruka turned around, the instructor saw Kakashi Hatake sitting on the sofa. As usual, the man had one of his perverted books out. "Why is Kakashi-San here?" Iruka asked.

"I hope you don't mind, but I thought Kakashi should be here with us while we talk," the headmaster explained.

Despite working with Kakashi for nearly two years, the pair never saw eye-to-eye especially when it came to Naruto. Everytime Iruka tried to raise his concerns Kakashi would intervene. But this time, Iruka wasn't going back down. Not even Kakashi's presence was going to stop him. "No matter what happens, I'm not leaving here until I know he can keep my student safe," Iruka resolved.

before the concerned instructor even opened his mouth, his superior spoke first. "Iruka-Sensei, you wanted to discuss Naruto, don't you?" He guessed.

The brunet froze for a brief moment before regaining his composer. "Yes I do," he admitted. "I know you've already made your decision, but I really don't think it's a good idea for Naruto and Sasuke to share a room together," Iruka paused and waited for his superior to lose his temper.

Saratobi gently put his cup of tea down and gave his subordinate a warm smile. "Iruka, I know how much you care for the boy, but I'm afraid my decision is final." He said firmly.

The instructor had hoped he wouldn't need to bring up the sensitive topic. "I'm just concerned that Naruto could relapse." Just as Iruka predicted, his words caught their attention. Even Kakashi looked up from his precious book. "Anyone can see Naruto's struggling to come to terms with Kiba's death, being forced to live with Sasuke might push him over the edge," he warned.

"What have you seen, Iruka?" The headmaster asked.

"He's angry all the time and pushing his friends away," he listed.

After remaining silent for most of the conversation, Kakashi finally spoke up. "May I remind you that Naruto is still grieving. He's just lost his best friend, anyone would start pushing away the people closest to them after a sudden loss," Kakashi stated coldly.

During his walk, Iruka promised himself he'd remain calm, but after listening to Kakashi's cold response, the instructor snapped. "You have no idea what that boy went through," Iruka growled. "I don't even know why you're even here in the first place. You couldn't even be bothered to show up when we had to tell him about Kiba's death." Weeks had passed since then, but Iruka still hadn't forgiven the instructor for abandoning Naruto like that.

Kakashi's lazy demeanour suddenly changed. Despite only having one eye, the man could still deliver a powerful glare. "Your behaviour at the moment just proves you're too involved," he began. "You need to accept that Naruto is no longer your student, he is an officer in training," he pointed out. "If you'd come to me and I would have listened to your concerns. But instead, you decided to go behind my back,"

If that wasn't bad enough, Iruka now felt guilty for turning to the headmaster like this. Despite this, the instructor still wanted to try one more time. "Please Saratobi-Sama, you need to make Naruto take a break from his studies. I just know he can't cope with the stress at the moment," he begged.

Before Hiurzen could respond to Iruka's heartfelt plea, Kakashi jumped in again. "I think it's very clear to everyone you've let your emotions cloud your judgement," the instructor warned. "If we tried to make Naruto stop, it will make the situation worse. Right now, Naruto needs his friends and teachers around him." Kakashi finished.

There was a long pause before Saratobi finally gave his answer. "I agree with Kakashi," the headmaster said at last. "But I promise you, I will ask the rest of Naruto's instructors to keep a close eye on him." He promised.

Iruka bowed his head grateful for his superior's help. "Thank you for listening to what I had to say," As the brunet slowly walked out the office in defeat. Despite the small setback, the instructor didn't plan on giving up just yet. "Kakashi doesn't know anything about Naruto. No matter what it takes I'm not going to watch him suffer again," the instructor vowed.

As soon as Iruka closed the door behind him, Kakashi turned back to face his superior. "Now I understand why you wanted to see me this morning," Kakashi said.

"Don't think badly of Iruka." The headmaster pointed out. "He just wants what's best for Naruto."

As much as Iruka's actions angered him, he couldn't deny that statement. "I know, but we can't let our feelings get in the way of our job." Kakashi put in. "Are you sure Naruto and Sasuke can live together?" Kakashi asked carefully.

"I see, you also don't think Sasuke is a good match for Naruto?" The headmaster asked.

As much as Kakashi disliked Iruka's constant interfering, wasn't sure about the new arrangement. "I trust your instincts, but I can't overlook the fact Iruka has a point this time." Kakashi began. "Naruto and Sasuke just don't like each other, in fact, I can't recall a time where I haven't had to separate those two." He said.

"That's not my only concern," he added. "Up until now, we've always relied on Kiba to keep an eye on Naruto." When Kakashi first laid eyes on Kiba, he didn't know what to make of the boy. As time went on, Kakashi came to respect his student for being such a good friend to Naruto. Kiba loved dogs was a huge bonus of course. "There's one other thing Sasuke isn't aware of Naruto's past. If he does relapse, it will be much easier for him to keep it hidden this time." Kakashi put in.

Saratobi couldn't stop himself from smiling at Kakashi.

Not too long after becoming an instructor, Kakashi became famous again, this time for hand picking his students. "You put on a convincing act in front of the other staff and your students, but I know you care about Naruto just as much as Iruka does," he said softly. "I've also noticed that you seem to have a little soft spot for Sasuke too," he teased.

It was times like this Kakashi was thankful he wore a mask. "Careful, I have a reputation to maintain." The instructor said as he rubbed the back of his silver hair. "I'll admit Naruto's grown on me, his unpredictable nature makes him a delight to teach" he admitted. "Both Sasuke and Naruto are gifted, there's no doubt about that, but they're complete opposites."

The headmaster gave a small chuckle at Kakashi's statement. "You may be right, but you know what they say about opposites," Saratobi reminded taking another sip from his cup.

* * *

Back in the classroom.

At the front of the classroom, Naruto let out another loud yawn. "Stupid Sasuke," he grumbled to himself. Thanks to his new roommate, Naruto found himself awake at seven o'clock every the morning, even on the weekend, Sasuke wouldn't let him sleep in. "It should be illegal to get up so early?" He grumbled tiredly laying his head on the desk.

The sleeping arguments weren't the only annoying thing about his new roommate. In his hurry to return to his studies, the blond had forgotten to buy himself toothpaste. Thinking nothing of it, Naruto picked up Sasuke's expensive toothpaste and promised to buy himself some later. Sasuke returned with the tube looking unimpressed. The teen didn't dwell on it, but when Naruto took a shower that evening, the blond discovered Sasuke had labeled all of his possessions.

The toothpaste incident just proved how different Sasuke was compared to his best friend. "Kiba would never have minded if I'd used his things," the blond thought sadly. In the past, Naruto would have found a way to get even with Sasuke. But the blond just didn't care anymore. Lately, Naruto found himself thinking about Kiba more often. "I wish he was here now, I'll bet he'd teach Sasuke a thing or too." He smiled at the thought of the pair fighting over a tube of toothpaste.

Just as the orange-clad started to doze off, he heard a familiar voice standing next to him. "Oh great, that's all I need." He thought. Naruo opened his eye a crack to see what was going on.

Through his half open eyes, Naruto could see Shikamaru looked around the room only to find most of the seats were taken. "Great, thanks to your second breakfast all the seats are taken Choji, looks like we'll just have to sit here," Shikamaru grumbled, throwing his bag on the floor.

Choji didn't look the least bit guilty for making them late to class. "Quit your worrying Shikamaru. You know Kakashi-sensei's never on time." He pointed out, sitting next to his friend. As soon as he sat down, Choji pulled out a fresh bag of crisps and started munching away.

Ever since their heated exchange a week ago, the pair hadn't spoken a word to each other-not even during class. When Naruto looked more closely, he noticed Choji seemed to be looking at Shikamaru longingly. Up until then, Naruto hadn't thought about how his behaviour was affecting the sweet-natured teen. "I guess it must be really awkward for Choji." He thought sadly.

Just when Naruto resided himself to thinking this, his friend starting speaking to him. "I'm sorry about before," Shikamaru said at last.

Naruto's head shot up in surprise, "Shikamaru never apologizes to anyone, least of all to me." He thought, waiting for the teen to continue.

This was the longest they'd ever gone without speaking to one another. "Yeah well you should be," Naruto mumbled shooting the laid back teen daggers. After saying that, the blond just wanted to bury his head in his hands. "Why did I say it like that?" He asked, feeling ashamed of behaviour. Despite Sakura's advice, the orange-clad continued to ignore all his friends calls and texts.

To the blond's immense relief, Shikamaru didn't seem to take any notice. "So how's life living with Sasuke Uchiha?" He smirked. "I bet Sakura's been asking a lot of questions about his habits." He guessed.

Naruto desperately wanted to confide in his friend and tell him just how irritating Sasuke was being. But when he looked at Shikamaru, the guilt would eat away at him again. "No please don't be nice to me, it's all my fault you had to see him like that." He thought. "It's none of your damn business." the teenager grumbled, at last, turning away before his friend noticed his tears.

Even with his back turned, the blond could still feel Shikamaru's gaze on him. "Fine if you don't want to talk, that's all right I won't push it." He promised. "Wake me when the teacher gets here." With that said, Shikamaru lay on the desk and promptly fell asleep.

Despite Naruto's valiant efforts a small tear still managed to escape. "Stop crying." He told himself. "It's better for Shikamaru if I stay away from him." Once Naruto got his emotions under control, the teenager finally looked back to see Shikamaru sleeping next to him.

Choji gave a small wave his way. "Do you want to hang out at lunch time?" He asked softly.

As much as it pained Naruto to do it, he shot down Choji's offer. "No thanks, I already have plans," he lied turning away from the gentle teen.

* * *

At the back of the classroom, Sasuke sat quietly and read his book. Every so often the black-haired teen would look over to see what Naruto was doing.

From the start of his investigation, the meticulous Uchiha kept a detailed diary to record all of Naruto's behaviour. "With this dairy, I can still watch him most of the day without looking too suspicious. If anyone happens to ask what I'm doing, I can just say I'm just writing notes." To distance himself as much as possible, Sasuke started referring to Naruto as his suspect in his notes. The exchange between Shikamaru and Choji didn't escape his attention. It didn't seem too important, but Sasuke still made a quick note of it.

"Suspect is in class and appears to be ignoring his friends."

So far, the raven had been able to keep tabs on his new roommate without raising any suspicion. "It's not enough, what exactly does Orochimaru expect me to do exactly." It wasn't long before crack started to appear in the homicide detective's plan. "I could be watching this idiot for years at this rate," he thought. Sasuke also found it strange that Orochimaru hadn't contacted him since giving him his assignment. "Just what is that guy playing at?" When Sasuke thought back to the cafe, it occurred to him that Orochimaru was still testing him.

"Of course, Orochimaru wants me to use my initiative." He reasoned. With this new theory in mind, Sasuke once again stared at his suspect thoughtfully. "Spying on him at this distance isn't getting me anywhere. If I'm going to get to know my suspect, then I need to find a way to get closer to him." He told himself.

While Sasuke was beginning to ponder this, Kakashi-Hatake finally arrived. As usual, the teacher was reading a make-out-paradise novel. "Good morning class," Kakashi greeted. "Sorry, I'm late, on my way to class when I had to save a stranded dolphin," he lied.

While the rest of the class groaned at their teacher's poor excuse, Sasuke looked on with disgust. From his every first lesson the teenager detested Kakashi's poor attitude to teaching. "Why does this incompetent idiot even bother turning up at all?" He thought to himself. Before the laid back teacher began the lesson, Sasuke caught the instructor glance in Naruto's direction. "What's he doing now?" He thought to himself. The moment barely lasted a second.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the pairs odd exchange but didn't think it warranted any further attention.

"Ok class, pull out your workbooks and start this writing down," Kakashi ordered as he wrote on the board. "Today we'll be learning about..."

Usually, Sasuke was a model pupil that never daydreamed in class or even gotten so much as a detention. But today, the teenager just couldn't focus on his studies. For the first time ever, the Uchiha's thoughts kept wandering back to his mission. After an hour of trying to keep up, Sasuke admitted defeat.

With his class abandoned, Sasuke spent the entire lesson thinking of a solution to his problems. Firstly, he needed to think of a way to befriend his suspect. "It shouldn't be too difficult, luckily he's in my classes. Now that we share a room together, they'll be plenty of opportunities to make conversation." Before now, Sasuke wouldn't have even of entertained the idea to befriend Naruto.

Even if he was successful at earning Naruto's trust, there was still one more obstacle Sasuke needed to overcome. He couldn't very well write in his notebook all day. What if he missed important details or worse Naruto confessed? "I could always use my phone to record him, but there's always a chance my suspect could realise what I'm doing." Blowing his cover wasn't the Uchiha's only concern. He'd heard about cases that were thrown out of court because of poor undercover work. "I can't afford to make a single mistake. If I make one wrong move, the whole case could fall apart." "That's not going to happen because I'll make sure my case is water tight," Sasuke vowed.

Instead of leaving straight away, Sasuke decided to wait and see what happened next. "Let's see what you do next," he thought. Naruto stood up to leave, but the clumsy teen tripped over dropping his books. "That's so typical of him," Sasuke mocked. He watched as Shikamaru briefly stopped to look for a moment but turned leaving their friend to pick up his books alone. "Come on Choji, we better not be late for Asuma's class." Shikamaru said walking away from Naruto.

Sasuke could see Choji looked reluctant to leave Naruto behind. "But Shikamaru.."

Shikamaru didn't wait to hear the excuse. "Leave it." He ordered gruffly.

The raven watched with fascination, as the plump boy looked at Naruto one last time before reluctantly following Shikamaru out the door. "Interesting, his own friends are starting to avoid him now," Sasuke noted.

While the rest of the class walked passed their classmate, when it suddenly occurred to Sasuke. "Right now Naruto's vulnerable and alone it shouldn't take much to make friend's with him." He thought. By chance, Sasuke saw that one of Naruto's textbooks landed at his feet. "I can't just sit around and do nothing," Sasuke told himself. "If I'm going to do this, I need to act now," The black-haired teen thought.

With his mind made up, Sasuke knelt down picked up the textbook and handed it back to his surprised rival. "Watch where you're going, idiot." He mocked.

Without even thanking his classmate, Naruto snatched the textbook from him. "I could have got that myself you know." He mumbled quietly.

Try as he might, Sasuke couldn't suppress his irritation, only a subtle eye twitch gave any hint of his anger. "No stay calm, I need to get him to trust me." He reminded himself. But when it came down to it, Sasuke didn't know what to say next. "So did you by yourself toothpaste?" He asked shocked he'd come out with something so stupid.

Without saying anything else Naruto pushing past the raven.

"Ok see you later," Sasuke called after him.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked himself. When Sasuke stood up, the teenager noticed Kakashi was giving him a curious look. "What are you looking at?" Sasuke demanded.

With most of his teacher's face covered it was difficult to read Kakashi's face. Sasuke couldn't be completely sure, but it looked like Kakashi smiled. "Nothing, you better get off to your next class." He advised turning back to the board.

* * *

As soon as his classes ended Naruto bolted. Instead of slowing down, Naruto's pace continued to increase until he finally reached the bathroom. For the first his need for isolation wasn't because of Kiba, all through his lessons, the orange-clad couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke's odd behaviour that morning, "It didn't mean anything, I didn't mean anything," the frantic teen kept repeating this mantra over and over again while splashing his face with water.

As the orange-clad calmed down, his thoughts began to travel back to when he first arrived at the university. Even after two years, Naruto could still recall the moment he'd first laid eyes on Sasuke.

While Choji ran off to get food, Naruto lagged behind his friends. For the last two weeks, his stomach hadn't stopped rolling.

"Ok, what's wrong?" Kiba asked.

"What are you talking about, I'm fine?" Naruto lied, forcing a smile,

"We just passed three ramen stalls and you haven't stuffed your face yet." Shikamaru pointed out.

To earn his scholarship, the blond studied day and night through to pass his exams. Against all odds, Naruto passed. Even after all his hard work, Naruto still wondered if could truly accomplish his dream. "Do you think I'm, you know...smart enough to come here?" Naruto asked nervously.

Both of his friend's spun round to look at him. "Who is this imposter?" Kiba demanded. "Listen here, you better return Naruto to us otherwise I'll be forced to use my integration skills on you," he threatened.

Naruto gave his friend a smile. "Yeah right, everyone knows you'll just make Akamaru lick me to death." The teen pointed out. Just then the blond heard the sound of screaming.

The boys looked up to see a bunch of girls came stampeding towards them. "Hey look they heard we were coming, I didn't even need to bring Akamaru with me this time," Kiba said cheerfully. "Don't worry ladies there's plenty of me to go around," he promised.

When the women didn't slow down, both Naruto and Shikamaru wisely jumped out of the way. By the time Kiba recognised the danger, it was too late.

When the dust settled Naruto saw his best friend lying on the ground. Like any best friend, Naruto burst out laughing at his friend's misfortune. "Kiba...are...you." The orange-clad grabbed his aching stomach. Before too long Naruto collapsed in a heap laughing his head off. As he laughed the teenager could feel all his worries melt away. While he caught his breath back, the teen could feel Shikamaru's calming presence standing over him.

"Choji, go find a nurse," he ordered.

Not too far off Naruto could just about hear his best friend groaning. "No, I'm fine I swear. This is embarrassing enough without a hot nurse seeing me like this." Kiba said.

"It's not for you." Shikamaru pointed out. "Naruto's starting to turn blue, I don't want him to pass out on me." Although Naruto couldn't see Shikamaru's face, the teenager knew Shikamaru was just as amused as he was.

Sakura came rushing over. "Naruto!" She lifted his head on her lap. "What the hell happened?" His friend demanded.

"It's nothing Sakura, just Kiba as always," Shikamaru explained.

"I'm fine Sakura-Chan, all I need is a nice bowl of ramen." Naruto gasped.

Now that Sakura knew Naruto wasn't in any danger her gentle nature changed in a blink of an eye. "You idiot!" the medic in training yelled. "I don't know why I waste my energy on you." She added handing Naruto a bottle of water. "What's all the fuss about anyway?" She asked looking at the crowd.

It seemed to take forever for the crowd to disperse enough for Naruto to find out the cause of the stampede. "Hey, Shikamaru, who is that guy anyway?" Naruto asked.

"Oh my gosh, it's Sasuke Uchiha!" She squealed. "I'd heard rumors he was attending university but I had no idea it was this one." Sakura quickly pulled out her compact. "I can't be seen like this, I'm should have put make on this morning." She explained, running off towards the girl's dormitories.

"Wait, you mean that's Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto couldn't help but gawp at the boy. Growing up, the teenager had heard stories about the famous family. But he never imagined for one second he'd ever actually meet Sasuke in person. As far as appearances go, Naruto didn't know what to make of Sasuke as he walked passed his new admirers without giving them a second glance.

Sasuke turned to look at them. As the boy continued to stare at them Naruto suddenly felt self-conscious about his scruffy appearance and looked away. "Did you see that Sasuke actually looked at me." Sakura gushed. "Destiny is on my side." She yelled.

"Don't worry about it, she'll forget about him in a week," Kiba promised.

Sadly for the group, Sakura's obsession with Sasuke only seemed to grow. It took almost three weeks for Sakura to worked up enough courage to talk to Sasuke. "Erm, hey Sasuke-Kun." She said timidly. "You must be hungry, so I made you a meal." He said handing the raven a handmade bento box.

From behind the scenes Kiba and Naruto watched, Naruto couldn't help but laugh a little. "I've never seen Sakura-chan so shy before," The teenager thought. "I almost feel sorry for Sasuke once he gets to know her." Naruto thought, picturing Sasuke's horror once he saw how scary Sakura could be.

Naruto's warm thoughts were cut short by the sound of Sasuke slapping the bento box out of Sakura's hands. "You can do me a favour stop stalking me. If I see you near my class or my car again, I'll take a restraining order out on you," Sasuke threatened.

Despite his friend's warnings, Naruto couldn't push Sasuke's cruel rejection out of his mind. Naruto eyed the arrogant Uchiha with silent fury. "I can't believe he treated Sakura-Chan like that," he seethed. "What makes that arrogant jerk think he's too good for her?" he thought quietly.

As soon as class finished Naruto marched up to the back of the classroom. Without hesitation, the blond got right in the boy's face.

To Naruto's surprise, the Uchiha didn't look the least bit fazed by his presence. "Do you want something idiot?" Sasuke asked at last.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do." Naruto began. "I'm going to make you apologise to Sakura-Chan," The blond declared.

His declaration only seemed to amuse his new classmate. "No need to get territorial, I'm not interested in your girlfriend," Sasuke promised.

Kiba started laughing at Sasuke's comment. "Hahahaha as if." The teen joked.

At this point, Naruto's was far too angry to silence his friend. "I don't care how who your family is, you're going to go find Sakura-Chan then you're going to apologise to her for how you treated her yesterday," the teenager ordered.

"Naruto, calm down he's not worth it," Shikamaru said trying to pull his friend away. When that didn't work, the teen turned to Kiba for assistance. "Kiba, will you please stop Naruto before he gets..."

To Shiakarum's dismay, Kiba had already pulled out his phone ready to film the moment. "That's not helping Kiba," Shikamaru sighed.

"Yes, it is," Kiba argued. "Who else is going to record this wonderful moment when Sasuke Uchiha get's hiss ass kicked at last?" He questioned.

Just then, horror struck when someone shoved Naruto from behind. The teen lost his balance and fell forward, kissing Sasuke on the lips. If that wasn't embarrassing enough, Kiba had managed to take a perfect snap of the pair locking lips.

Before Naruto could stop his best friend, Kiba uploaded the photo. Thanks to social media, the picture spread quickly. By lunch time everyone knew about his kiss with Sasuke. There was one group of people that disliked the picture more than anyone else, Sasuke's ever-growing fan club. It took all of the orange clad's training to stay alive that week.

After pulling himself out of the flashback, Naruto stared at his reflection in the mirror. Unlike the people around him, the teenager failed to notice the dark rings around his eyes or pale complexion. been able to keep his mask in place, but whenever he found himself alone, his mask would crumble. "Stop being selfish, you don't deserve kindness, not after what you did to Kiba." He told himself looking down at his wrists.

He welcomed the idea of punishing himself. "No, I don't need to do that this time," he told himself. "As long as I just stay away from people, that should be enough. Shikamaru and Sakura will stop eventually then they'll be safe from me at last."

* * *

Naruto wasn't the only one having a bad day. "I'm such an idiot," Sasuke thought as he made his way towards his room. "I couldn't have said anything more stupid even if I tried." He said storming to his room.

Because of his father's strict upbringing, it allowed the Uchiha to cope with almost any situation. He could tolerate his annoying fan base, ignore all his jealous classmate's and even put up with his new roommate. But Sasuke just couldn't bear failing at anything. It didn't matter if it was a friendly game of football or a mock exam, Sasuke wouldn't be satisfied unless he performed his task flawlessly.

Even as Sasuke walked back to his room, he just couldn't push his failure from his mind. What made it even more embarrassing was Kakashi had seen it. "I must have looked like a complete idiot in front that fool." He seethed throwing his school bag into the corner of his room.

Just as he was about to collapse onto his best, the sharp-eyed teen caught a glimpse of a box on his bedside table. When he saw the handwriting he smiled warmly.

 _To Sasuke,_

 _Firstly I didn't break in, I sweet talked the receptionist to let me in. I didn't want to risk leaving it outside your door. I think even you will appreciate this small house warming gift._

 _From Neji_

 _Ps, try not to lose track of time_

With his , Sasuke carefully unwrapped the present. His onyx eyes widened when they laid eyes on the wrist watch. "That Neji," he smiled taking the watch out. Sasuke could vaguely recall he'd mentioned he needed a new watch to his friend a few weeks ago. He slipped the watch on to find it was a perfect fit. "I don't believe it, he even remembered my size."

As much as he loved his new present, Sasuke couldn't help but feel slightly guilty at the same time. He'd been so preoccupied with his mission that he'd neglected his friend. "I'll need to try and make time for Neji at some point," Sasuke thought to himself. "I may not have much of a social life, but Itachi and Neji are bound to notice if I become a recluse." He thought.

Alone, at last, Sasuke decided to use this opportunity to look over his notes from today. People had their own little routines that they followed every day. After a week of watching Naruto's movements, Sasuke knew most of the blond's routine. Every morning, his roommate would drag himself out of bed and change in the bathroom. Once he was dressed, for the rest of the day Naruto would attend his classes, go to lunch and return to his dormitory in the evening.

While most of his suspect's behaviour appeared normal, there were a few things about Naruto's routine that stood out. "Why does that idiot insist on changing privately anyway?"Sasuke asked himself. As far back as the raven could recall, Naruto never undressed in the changing room. At the time, Sasuke didn't think anything of the odd ritual. But now Sasuke couldn't stop thinking about it. "Just what is that idiot hiding?" He wondered.

This odd habit wasn't the only thing that caught Sasuke's attention. Every morning and evening Naruto would vanish for hours when then blond eventually returned he'd reek of sweat. You didn't need to be a detective to work out in that Naruto was exercising, but the Uchiha had searched all the likely place he could think of. "He doesn't use the running track or the swimming pool. That must mean, Naruto must have a secret hiding place," Sasuke thought to himself. "If that's the case, then he could be hiding something there, including the murder weapon."

Before he even started searching for clues, the sharp raven needed to figure out a few things first. He looked down at his notes thoughtfully. "Firstly, I need to find out where Naruto goes in the evening. Secondly, I need to try and befriend him again." Now that the raven had something to aim for, he started thinking of ways to accomplish his goals. "It should be simple enough, no one can resist my money. All I need to do is find out what he wants." He thought sourly. From a very young age, Sasuke had learnt a very painful lesson about human nature, no one could resist money.

While Sasuke plotted his next move, the teen heard his phone vibrating. "It's probably Itachi again," he thought.

When Sasuke realised it wasn't his personal mobile, the teenager raced to his bed and took out his second phone.

 _"Meet me in town in ten minutes."_

* * *

 **Leaving it there, for now,** **I'm so sorry the chapter is shorter than usual, but it will be longer in the next update. I really loved writing the flashback with Kiba in it.**

 **Next Chapter is going to be very eventful, I can promise you that.**

 **Thank you so much for reading my story, if you have time please leave a review thanks.**


	6. Instead I'm Awake

**Hey everyone, thank you all so much for all your reviews, adding my story to your favourites and following.**

 **I'm so sorry for the delay, I've been a little bit busy. Hopefully, this chapter will make up for it.**

* * *

 **Instead I'm Awake**

In the blink of and eye, Sasuke found himself just minutes away from his second meeting with Orochimaru. Every step that brought him closer made the teenager's heartbeat increase. A number of scenarios began to go through Sasuke's mind. "There's always a chance Orochimaru won't approve when he learns I'm living with his prime suspect." No sooner did Sasuke overcome one fear, another one quickly took its place. "I can't think straight like this." On the verge of tearing his hair out, Sasuke pulled out his phone and earphones.

Once again, the teenager's old trick worked wonders. With music now pulsing in his ears, Sasuke felt his concerns wash away. Feeling more at ease, the Uchiha began preparing himself. "Even with the little information I've collected so far, it should be enough to satisfy Orochimaru."

Unlike the first meeting, Orochimaru deiced to meet in a hotel instead. Sasuke felt his heart sink a little when he saw Kabuto sitting in the reception. "Good afternoon Sasuke, I'm afraid we had to change the venue." He apologised.

Sasuke gave a short nod. The pair said nothing as Kabuto lead the teen to Orochimaru's room.

The first thing to catch Sasuke's attention was Orochimaru's dishevelled appearance. Less than a week had passed since his first encounter with the detective. "He looks more like a homeless drunk, than a detective." He thought.

Sasuke noticed the detective's long black hair looked greasy and unkempt, his pale face unshaven. "I've heard about detective's becoming obsessed with their work, and if that facial stubble is anything to go by, then this case must be keeping him up at night." He thought. "The last time I saw this was with Itachi..." Sasuke quickly shook his brother from his thoughts.

Orochimaru looked up and smiled warmly. "It's nice to see you again, Sasuke-Kun," he greeted. "I trust you've been able to keep tabs on your classmate."

Sasuke nodded. "I've been making notes and monitering his behaviour, but at the moment it's diffcult to tell if his actions are down to grife." He explained handing the man his notebook.

Orochimaru eagerly took the notebook and studied it. Sasuke remained silent while the pale detective scrutinised his surveillance. After an agonising wait, his mentor finally glanced up. "From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you wouldn't fail me." he praised. "The one quality I look for in my subordinates is initiative." Orochimaru leant forward in his chair.

"He already knows I'm living with Naruto," Sasuke deduced. The sharp teen couldn't help but wonder just how the senior detective found out. "I shouldn't be that surprised," he told himself. "Considering what's at stake, I should have known he'd keep a close eye on me." Sasuke tried not to let it show.

In a startling contrast to his partner, Kabuto hadn't changed at all. "Orochimaru-Sama hasn't come all this way to feed your ego," he glared. "There's been a development since our last meeting." Kabuto began.

"Have you found new evidence?" Sasuke asked. As much as the teenager wanted the murder solved as quickly as possible, a small part of him feared his part in the investigation had come to an abrupt end.

"Something like that," Orochimaru replied. Without saying another word, the adult reached into his bag and pulled out a small brown file. "Before we discuss our findings, I was wondering if you knew this boy?" He asked handed the bewildered teenager a photo.

Sasuke hid his disappointment from his new mentor and took the picture. But the moment his onyx eyes laid on the photo, the sharp-eyed teenager immediately recognised the pale, black-haired boy. "Yes, I knew him, I think his name was Sai," he recalled at last.

"What else can you tell me about him?" Orochimaru asked keenly.

Feeling the pressure, Sasuke frantically began pulling every memory and small detail he could recall about the strange boy he'd barely known. "He was a year above me," Sasuke started. "Sai gained a reputation for being a loner and that he committed suicide almost a year ago." He finished.

Try as he might, Sasuke could only remember a few basic details, but he could vividly recall the week Sai went missing. Much like himself, Sai preferred to be alone. Because of this need for solitude, no one raised the alarm when the strange teen didn't attend classes one day. It took three more days until a student finally reported him missing.

The homicide detective's piercing eyes appeared to gleam, even Kabuto looked mildly impressed. "My, that's a good memory you have there, no doubt it comes in handy." Orochimaru praised. "Sai 'allegedly'committed suicide almost a year ago, he was reported missing and his body was later discovered in a derelict building a few days later,"

Orochimaru's partner handed Sasuke a small clipping from a newspaper. The report was barely a few lines long.

 **Search For Missing Teen Ends In Tragedy**

Since he already knew how the story ended, Sasuke didn't bother to read the rest of the article. "They wouldn't show me all this not unless they believe Kiba's death is connected in some way," he reasoned. "If that's the case, then they o work that out," He noted. With this in mind, the Uchiha played it cool.

"Yes that's right," Kabuto revealed, placing another picture of the victim on the table. This time, Sasuke was Sai was lying on a concrete floor with his head split open.

Sasuke felt his blood turn to ice when he saw the crimson fluid pooling under the dead teenagers' head. In a flash, the teenager suddenly saw his mother in the image. "No not her, why did they have to kill her?" Just as he went to push the photo away, the black-haired teen noticed Kabuto's smug look. "That bastard, he did that on purpose," he growled clenching his fists with rage. Not wanting to give Orochimaru's partner the satisfaction, Sasuke forced himself to look at the crime scene again. "It's just a photo, it's not them," he repeated this mantra over and over until he saw Sai again.

As he studied the photo for clues, Sasuke couldn't see anything to contradicted the findings. "There was no note I'm guessing," he enquired.

The pale detective fixed Sasuke a hard stare. "No, but that's not the only thing that's similar," Orochimaru stated. "We took a closer look at Sai's X-rays and found something interesting." He said. "If you look more closely you'll see that there isn't that much blood, that means Sai was already dead before he hit the ground." He said.

Even with just a few notes and pictures, Sasuke could already see the similarities. "Our killer believes he's smarter than the police," he said the two newspapers side by side. "At first glance, no one would think these two deaths were connected, but they both share two important traits. Neither victim left a note or had any prior history of depression." He stated. "It's likely our killer uses suicide to cover his tracks and avoid detection," Sasuke concluded.

Kabuto's smug grin dropped, while Orochimaru smiled. "Anything else significant about the crimes?" The detective pushed.

Unlike their first meeting, Sasuke was prepared for anything the pair could throw at him. "Yes," He nodded. "When he first killed, the murder chose a place where the victim wouldn't be found. Kiba was murdered in his own home." He pointed out. "It means our killer is getting more confident with his method," the Uchiha interpreted.

Orochimaru's eyes lit up. "Excellent deduction, now is there anything you want to ask us?" The detective asked.

Police work didn't just involve studying crimes photo's, now Orochimaru wanted to see if he had the ability ask the right questions. "Have you made any progress on the motive?" Sasuke asked. "I've been thinking about it, but I still can't make sense of Kiba's last voice mail." The pair exchanged a glance at each other.

"We've come up with a theory to answer that, but first there's one last person I want you to identify for me," "I don't think I even need to ask you if you know her." Orochimaru laughed.

Unlike all the previous photos he'd been asked to identify, Sasuke didn't have any trouble identifying this one. " Her name is Sakura Haruno, she's a medical student that studies at my University," he answered blankly. "I've seen her hang around with Naruto a lot on campus," he explained the Uchiha could sense they seemed very interested in his stalker. "Is she involved in some way?" Sasuke asked.

"Three months before the first victim's death, Miss Haruno became very close to Sai. Less than a week before his sudden death, Naruto assaulted our victim," the former medic revealed. "Naruto was arrested, but the charges were quickly dropped," he went on. "When Sai's body was found Sakura was terribly upset over his death. Naruto was always by her side during the troubled time, in fact, he was barely seen without her."

Sasuke could already see where they were going with this. "Was Sakura in a relationship with Sai?" He asked.

Orochimaru shook his head. "At this stage, we've been unable to confirm that, yet. But it would give Naruto a very strong motive to kill."

The physical evidence alone was strong enough to question. As much as Sasuke respected law enforcement, the teen couldn't help but wonder why no one had raised any suspicion about Sai's death until now. "Who was in charge of investigating Sai's death?" Sasuke asked.

"Your brother," Orochimaru recalled.

Just like their first meeting, Sasuke once again sensed Orochimaru was testing him, but this time it wasn't his intelligence. "He wants to see if I can remain objective." Despite Sasuke's best efforts to remain stoic, the teenager unconsciously gripped the file tightly. "I see, did Itachi ever question Naruto about Sai's death?" he asked as calmly as possible.

The Homicide detective studied Sasuke for a few more seconds before finally answering his question. "Although Itachi was made aware of the fight, he never formally interviewed Naruto," he revealed. "Once the medical examiner reported his findings your brother ruled Sai's death as a suicide." He answered bluntly.

Most of what the detectives said did make sense, but there was still one question that still troubled him. "What about Kiba?" he asked, "How does his death fit into all of this?"

This time, Kabuto answered his question. "During initial stages of our investigation, we spoke to a number of your classmates. Nearly everyone we spoke to described Kiba as a flirt," he explained, adding a pile of statements on the table. "My partner and I suspect, that Naruto may have felt threatened by Kiba, and decided to remove the competition." Kabuto's smile dropped. "That's not the only motive, remember Kiba's final voice mail?" He asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"We believe that Kiba somehow uncovered the truth about Sai's death." He concluded.

While Sasuke mulled over this new motive, the teenager pretended to read some of the witness statements. "As crazy as their theory sounds, it does make sense," he admitted. "When comes down to it, there are only three reasons that drive people to kill; Sex, money, and revenge. The first victim easily falls under sex, Kiba's is a little more complicated."

The teenager returned to the first photo. "From how sloppy his first kill was, it's possible Naruto may not have intended to kill Sai, once he realised Sai was dead he panicked and tried to cover it up." Sasuke could almost picture the teenager's murder right down to the moment when Naruto bludgeoned Sai over the head. Armed with this new information, Sasuke began planning strategy. "What if I wore a wire?" he offered. "If I put enough pressure on our suspect, I'm sure I could get a confession,"

The former medical examiner's head shot up at Sasuke's suggestion. "Out of the question, it's far too dangerous to send a teenager in, even with a wire." Kabuto didn't give Sasuke a chance to argue. "As soon as this meeting is over, you're to move out of the university immediately." He finished ordered.

Sasuke wanted to stand up and yell at the pair for kicking him off the case. "Right now, I'm the closest person to our main suspect." He said. "If my age is a concern, then I'll gladly sign any paperwork. That way you wouldn't be liable." He offered.

His mentor's body language gave nothing away. "Your lack of experience does come into it, but that's not my main concern," he stated his voice becoming softer. "This isn't a school assignment, where if you fail you'll get another chance. We're are dealing with a real murderer. The fact of the matter is I cannot guarantee your safety." He warned sternly.

Sasuke almost jumped off the bed to argue his case. "There's no time for that," he started. "If you send in someone else in there now our suspect would get suspicious," Sasuke added. "I'm more than prepared to take the risk if it means getting justice for those two victims. Send me in wearing a wire I'll get what you need." He promised.

For the first time, Kabuto smiled at the teenager. "Thankfully for us, technology has improved since those days," Without saying another word, Kabuto reached into his backpack and pulled out a bag full of state of the art surveillance equipment. "Hide these bugs around your room. As you can see, they'll be hard to detect." He explained. "These are wireless and connect directly to our computers. They're also able to pick up the sound, so we'll be able to hear and see everything that's happening," Kabuto said.

It took a lot to impress Sasuke, but even he had to admit Kabuto had come through.

"There is just one other condition I want to add." Orochimaru's expression turned serious. You must report back to us three times a day." He ordered. "Should you run into any trouble, or you want to pull out. Message a text with the words CODE RED. I'll send someone to your location within five minutes." He promised.

Sasuke agreed to the terms and walked out the room.

Once the teenager left, both Kabuto and Orochimaru smiled at each other. "Do you think I lit a fire?" He asked.

Kabuto chuckled. "My lord, I think you've set a blaze."

* * *

By the time Naruto recovered from his dizzy spell Sasuke was already in the bathroom. "What's going on, I can hardly stand up." He noticed.

Exasperated by his roommate's constant need to be clean. With Sasuke hogging the shower, the blond stomped to his wardrobe. "If that germophobe he's going to turn into soap." He thought. As Naruto pulled out random clothes, the teen came across a familiar T-shirt. "This...is...Kiba's," he thought to himself. "Sakura must have gotten it mixed up when she cleaned out Kiba's things." When he inhaled his nose was filled with a mix of dog and his best friend filled him with warm memories. He held the shirt close to his chest.

When Sasuke stepped out of the shower, Naruto hid Kiba's clothes behind his back before his roommate saw him cradling the garment.

"I'm done, hurry up so we can get to class, usuratonkachi." He ordered.

"You're not the boss of me Uchiha, I can take as long as I want." Naruto froze when he realised what Sasuke said. "Me and Sasuke walking to class." The blond felt his cheeks becoming hot when he pictured himself beside Sasuke to class. "As if I want to be seen with you during the day!" He snapped. "I mean it's bad enough I have to share a room with you," the blond added.

Like always, his rival was armed with a sharp retort. "Oh really, because from where I'm standing, I'm the one suffering. Have you heard yourself snore at night? I'm surprised your last roommate didn't try and smother you in the night." He said.

Whether he knew it or not, Sasuke's remark triggered a lot of painful memories. "Just go on ahead, I'll meet you there," Naruto struggled to hold himself together as he walked into the bathroom, still tightly clutching Kiba's T-shirt.

Once inside the bathroom, Naruto leaned against the door and listened until he heard Sasuke leave. Once Naruto was sure he was alone, the confused teen tried to make sense of things. His cheeks still felt a little warm from a few moments ago. "I need to stop thinking like this," the blond told himself. "If Kiba could see me now he'd probably call me crazy."

Instead of wearing his usual bright attire, Naruto changed into his gym clothes. "I think I'll just wait here for a moment, just in case Sasuke decided to wait outside. There's no way that goodie-two-shoes will risk being late for class." Once enough time passed, Naruto made his way towards the newly built gymnasium.

Guy-Sensei was famous for his enthusiastic approach to physical exercise. He was also just as famous for his rivalry with Kakashi-Sensei. On their first day of training, most of the students laughed and mocked the teacher for his outrageous green outfit and monstrous eyebrows. But once they saw his hand-to-hand combat no one dared say a word again him.

As usual, the instructor was willing to get started. "Alright my youthful students, today I want you to push yourselves harder this week." "But this time I want to you to beat your partner." He announced.

Before the teacher changed his mind, everyone scrambled to find their usual training partners.

Amongst the crowd, Naruto spotted Choji staring at the ground. "That's not good, gym isn't Choji's best subject. I hope he gets a decent partner...maybe I should go over." Just as Naruto was considering this notion, the blond saw Shikamaru walking towards the gentle teen. You didn't need to hear the conversation, Choji's smile told Naruto everything he needed to know. The blond couldn't stop himself from smiling at the sight. "That's Shikamaru for you, he'll go easy on Choji," he thought. Naruto watched them for a few more seconds and then looked away before the pair saw him watching them.

His over zealous teacher's face softened considerably. "Hey, there my most youthful pupil, why aren't you with your partner?" He asked looking around the room.

Naruto smiled at the man. "It's ok Guy-Sensei, I can just work on my own." He insisted.

Just as it looked as though Naruto be alone, a cool voice appeared beside him. "Looks like I'm going to have to work with you," Sasuke stated.

Naruto almost jumped in the air. "What is it with this guy all of a sudden?" At first, the blond wanted to shoot down his classmate's offer, But another side of him was curious to see how he would fair against Sasuke. "Fine, I guess I can work with him, just this once," He pouted looking away.

Guy punched the air ith joy at his students' team. "That's what I like to see, if only Lee could see this." He wept.

Their sensei wasn't the only one that looked surprised, while not weeping tears of joy, Naruto could tell Sasuke was just as surprised. It didn;t last long and the raven was back to his stoic self. "You better not slow me down." The raven stated.

With most of the equipment already in use, Naruto and Sasuke slowly made their way to the treadmills. The awkwardness from earlier still lingered.

"So how are you holding up?" Sasuke asked as he started jogging.

Caught off guard by the teenager's question, Naruto almost tripped over his own feet. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

He saw the raven roll his eyes. "I was talking about your friend, Kiba," Sasuke explained. "Didn't he pass away recently?" He put in.

Any notion that Sasuke cared went out the window. "That jerk makes it sound like Kiba died in his sleep." He thought, increasing the speed of the treadmill.

"Oi, slow down. This isn't a race, remember?" Sasuke reprimanded.

Naruto ignored his partner's warning and carried on. "I'll slow down when you stop asking me random questions." He painted. Just when the teen finally tuned Sasuke's voice out, the blond felt the room spinning again only this time the teen didn't have time to catch himself. In the blink of an eye, Naruto went flying off the treadmill like a cartoon character.

As expected, his classmates laughed and clapped at the blond's spectacular fall. So Naruto was surprised when Sasuke stopped his machine and walked towards him, but froze and look away. "You're bleeding," he pointed out.

"I didn't think Sasuke could look any paler." Then teen noticed the blood running down his arm." Sasuke wasn't the only one affected by the blood. Everyone stopped laughing and crowded around him. "It's just a small cut, I'm fine." He winced.

The instructor slowly pushed through the crowd of student's. Guy took one look at his injury and frowned. "Nonsense, your body is a temple and needs constant maintenance. Even the smallest of cracks can bring it crashing down." He warned. "On top of that, I can't have my most youthful pupil bleed to death on me," he suggested helping his student to his feet.

Naruto drew in a long breath at his teacher's attitude. "Gezz, even in a crisis, he's still fired up." Naruto thought. "Trust me Guy-Sensei, the only thing that's been damaged here is my pride." He said walking away. "I'll just go to my room and get a spear set of clothes." All the while the observant blond was aware Sasuke was watching him.

* * *

Growing up with few contacts outside his family circle, Sasuke knew he'd struggle to be social around his classmate. But Sasuke never imagined it would be so hard to befriend Naruto Uzumaki. "No matter what I try he just throws it back in my face." He seethed. For the last week, the teenager had been nothing but tolerant, he'd even tried being sympathetic.

To make matters worse, Sasuke hadn't seen his roommate since gym that afternoon. "I can't believe I lost that idiot." His suspect's disappearance wasn't the only thing haunting Sasuke. Even though no one seemed to notice at the time, Sasuke still felt ashamed for looking so weak in front of his class. "I can't believe I froze up like that, especially in front of that idiot." He kept thinking back, wondering if Naruto had realised why he'd refused to go anywhere near him.

When his search for Naruto came up empty, Sasuke reluctantly returned to his room. At first, nothing looked out of place aside from a few clothes scattered around the floor. "Where is that idiot anyway?" He wondered. "Maybe he did go to the nurses office." The Uchiha tasted bile whenever he pictured seeing the bloodied elbow. "It wasn't even that bad," he told himself shaking his head.

Just as Sasuke took out his earbuds, the teenager heard a familiar ringtone. He cautiously followed the sound to Naruto's bed, where he found his prime suspect passed out on the floor.

"Oh great, that's all I need." Sasuke raced to Naruto's side and turned the unconscious teen over. "Well, at least there's no blood," he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when he saw the white bandage around the orange-clads arm. Sasuke spent the next couple of minutes calling out his roommate's name. When he got no response, he instinctively reached for his phone. Just as he was about to press the last digit Sasuke froze. "This is it, this is how I get close to you." He thought slowly putting the phone away.

* * *

Dreams were supposed to feel comforting and a break from reality. Instead of running trough a field of flowers or sitting on a beach, Naruto had spent what felt like hours shook trying to wake himself up. "No, it's just a dream," he told himself. He looked at his parents again. "Why do I keep seeing you?" He asked desperately. "I said I was sorry. I tried to go back for you, but I just couldn't get there in time." Naruto pleaded. By now the teen had lost count how many times he'd apologised to his parents.

The haunted blond couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the familiar face standing next to his parent's. "Kiba...is it really you?" He asked.

Kiba's mouth started moving, but his words were too muffled to make out.

"What are you saying I can't hear you?" Naruto strained his ears so he could hear his best friend's message. His parents and Kiba turned and started walking away from him. "No, come back, don't leave me too" He begged reaching out for them. "Don't go!" He shouted.

"It's about time you woke up," a cynical voice called.

The orange-clad sighed a little. "Oh great, that's all I need," he thought sadly. Naruto thought about falling back to sleep, but familiar smell of food changed his mind. "Wait a second, that doesn't smell like hospital food," he noticed. Curious the blond slowly opened his eyes. Instead of seeing a crowd of worried faces standing over him, Naruto saw Sasuke sitting in a chair beside his bed. "How long have I been out?" The blond tried to sit up, but a pair of strong hands forced him to lie back down.

"Don't even think about moving," his roommate said. "I had a hard enough job dragging your heavy ass into bed the first time," Sasuke stated coldly.

"When was the last time you ate anything?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto avoided Sasuke's gaze. "Could Sasuke have noticed?" The worried teenager swallowed hard as he tried to think of a plausible answer. "What are you talking about teme?" He asked. "You saw me eat this morning, remember?" He retorted hoping this would be enough to convince his roommate.

Naruto watched nervously, as the Uchiha rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Have you forgotten that I left before you did this morning?" he pointed out. "Since we're already on the subject, I haven't seen you eat a meal since I moved in," Sasuke added placing a bowl on the table. "You're left with just two options, either decide to eat that bowl of ramen, or I can make a quick call to the nurse." He threatened, holding up his phone.

"Thanks but I'm not hungry." Before he said another word, an angry growl put paid to any excuse Naruto could come up with.

"Eat," Sasuke ordered, shoving the bowl under his nose.

"Ok fine," Begrudgingly, Naruto slowly took his first mouthful of noodles. Being somewhat of a connoisseur of ramen dishes, Naruto instantly recognised the distinct flavour. "Holy cow! this is Ichiraku Ramen!" Without saying another word, once he started eating the teen realised just how hungry he'd been. Naruto polished the bowl off in no time.

"Why starve yourself in the first place?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto groaned tiredly. "Why are you so talkative all of a sudden?" He mumbled. This wasn't the first time someone had gotten suspicious, but whenever a teacher started asking questions, the blond was always been armed with an excuse to cover his tracks. But this time, Naruto felt shame spiralling through him. "It's nothing, I've just not felt like eating lately that's all," he admitted.

To the blond's immense relief, Sasuke didn't pursue the matter any further. "Well, you better start, because I'm not dragging your heavy ass into bed again." His expression seemed to soften a little. "You should get some rest, I'm going to study." Without saying anything else Sasuke turned his back and went to work.

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "I didn't ask you to help me," he barked.

When his roommate didn't reply, Naruto looked up and saw Sasuke was already hard at work. "How can that jerk study and act like nothing happened?" He wondered.

As he started at the ceiling. "I can't have been easy putting me to bed, and I'll bet this meal cost a lot of money too," he thought. Naruto tried to ignore the guilt, but it kept gnawing at him like a dog with a bone. With this in mind, Naruto reached into his bedside table and pulled out his wallet he pulled out a few wrinkled bank notes. "Here, thanks for buying the food," he mumbled, handing Sasuke the money.

From the way, Sasuke was staring at him like the paper was going to burst into flames. "What's his problem?" Naruto wondered. "You'd think I was waving a knife at him."

It took a few minutes for Sasuke to recover from his shock. "I don't need or want your money," he stated harshly. "Now get back into that bed," Sasuke ordered.

"Ugh fine, be like that then Uchiha, next time just leave me on the floor." He said as he stomped away from the ungrateful teenager.

"Oi, don't even think about having a bath," Sasuke called after him.

"Calm down, I'm just going to get changed," he called back. Naruto emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later wearing his pyjamas and climbed into bed. Without saying another word and watched Sasuke study. It wasn't long after settling under the covers, the teen fell asleep.

* * *

Four days following the incident, Naruto hadn't bickered with Sasuke once. Even with this small victory under his belt, Sasuke continued to watch Naruto from afar. "I may have finally but that doesn't mean I can afford to get overconfident," he told himself. "Besides, Naruto doesn't exactly trust me, yet, but at least it's a start." On top of his investigating work, the black-haired teen also kept a closer eye on his suspect's eating habits.

Whilst Naruto's sudden collapse had been shocking to witness, it had given Sasuke crucial insight into his roommate's state of mind. "It's not uncommon for people to punish themselves out of guilt." When Sasuke thought about, his suspects' lack of interest in food wasn't the only sign of guilt he'd witnessed. "There's also the fact he's still avoiding all contact with friends. That makes sense, unlike Sai, Kiba was also their friend too." He noted.

He'd learned something else about his suspect. "If he's able to keep something like that that quite, I wonder what else he's hiding?" This gave way to a lot of other possibilities. "From now on, I need to keep a closer eye on him in future, I can't have him collapsing in class." He told himself. Sasuke stopped writing for a moment, he expected to run into a few surprises in his investigation. But yesterday something unexpected happened Uchiha hadn't counted on. "I know he's unpredictable, but I never expected him to pay me back for the food." He thought.

"Oi, earth to Sasuke do you read me?"

Startled by the voice, Sasuke slammed his notebook shut as fast as he could. "How much did they see?" He wondered. When Sasuke spun around he saw Neji standing behind him.

After recovering from his initial shock, the black-haired teen greeted his friend warmly. "Hey Neji, thanks, for the watch," Sasuke said showing his friend wrist. "How are things?" He asked.

Neji waved off Sasuke's gratitude with grace. "Don't mention it, and my life hasn't changed much, unlike yours." The brunette smiled. "When I said you needed a change of scenery, I didn't mean move in with the with the class clown." He mocked with an amused grin plastered all over his face.

Sasuke massaged his temples tiredly. "Oh great now even Neji's mocking me," he thought glumly. "That;s right, I'm currently Naruto's new roommate," he admitted. Sasuke froze at his own careless words. "Should I really be discussing my suspect with Neji like this?" He asked himself. "If Naruto sees's me talking to Neji he might use him to get to me." As discreetly as he could, Sasuke checked Naruto's position and saw his suspect shut his book and leave.

After chatting with Neji for a few minutes, Sasuke found himself forgetting about following Naruto. As their conversation continued, the black-haired teen became aware of how much he'd missed the teenager's company. It felt good to vent some of his greatnesses with sharing a room."

Like always, Neji listened to him without interruption. Only when Sasuke finished speaking his friend give his opinion. "Sounds like you've got your hands full with that one," His expression softened. "I wouldn't worry too much, I doubt he's going to stay much longer," he put in.

Neji's reaction surprised him. "What makes you say that?" Sasuke inquired.

His friend seemed hesitant to say anymore, but after some gentle coaxing, Neji went into more detail. "Your roommate recently lost his best friend," he pointed out. "Studying is difficult enough without dealing with grief as well," he put in. "I'm surprised your classmate's lasted this long. I give him another month before he quits and leaves." He finished taking another sip of his water.

Up until now, Sasuke hadn't even considered the possibility Naruto could up and leave at any time. "This is bad, if he gets expelled he might get away with murder. Goodness knows how far behind that idiot is already," he thought to himself. "I might need to speed things up before he gets kicked out."

"I've got to go," Sasuke explained putting his things away. "We'll again talk later," he promised.

"Just don't take so long next time." Neji teased.

* * *

For the last first few days, Naruto had been watching and waiting for Iruka or Kakashi to ask him about his eating. It wasn't until a few days passed that the blond finally believed Sasuke wasn't going to tell anyone about his fainting spell. "I was so sure that goody two shoes would rat me out." He thought. "But if he had Iruka would be on my case by now." While Sasuke's constant supervision at meal times could get annoying, he was still touched by the teenager's unexpected kindness.

"I wonder what Kiba would say if he saw Sasuke being nice?" He thought to himself. Since Naruto started wearing his friend's T-shirt, the teen felt more at ease. It quickly became a comfort to have something that belonged to him. To the blond's immense relief, he hadn't had any more strange dreams. "Maybe it was because I was hungry and tired." He wondered. The blond reached for his neckless. "Ba-Chan promised me that they wouldn't come back."

Naruto turned the key and walked into his room. "Oi, Sasuke you here?" The orange-clad called. "Tch, I'll bet that neat freak is still in the library," he reasoned. "Now that I think about it, I should think about doing some studying myself."

With a heavy sigh, Naruto put his book bag on the floor and prepared for a long afternoon of studying. Just as the teen sat at his desk, he heard movement coming from the bathroom. "Uchiha! you better not have used all the hot water again!" He called.

The teen didn't bother to turn around when he heard the bathroom door creak open. "I was only kidding, you didn't need to stop on my account." He sentence was abruptly cut off when something was put over his mouth. When Naruto looked up, the blond saw two masked men standing over him.

"Where's the Uchiha's money!" A harsh voice demanded.

* * *

 **Leaving it there for now. Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger.**

 **I can't help but feel like the Orochimaru scene was a bit too much like the first time they met, but I promise not all of the Orochimaru's appearances will be like this. (Although I really do enjoy writing Orochimaru)**

 **Thanks for reading, I hope it was worth the wait.**


	7. Break In

**Hey everyone, thank you for all the follows and the favs, I'm glad to see you're all enjoying my story.**

 **After I made you all wait so long for the last chapter, I did my best to try and write this one a little quicker.**

 **Warning: This chapter contains self-harm.**

* * *

 **To Ease The Pain**

On Naruto's very first day at school, the blond put a whoopie cushion under his teacher's chair. The blond's love of pranks stayed with him all the way into his late teens. By the end of the end of the week, all of Naruto's instructors were well aware of their student's mischievous nature. His love of practical jokes wasn't the only quality the orange-clad was famous for. Many people claimed that Naruto's voice could be heard from miles away. During class, Iruka often threatened to tape the blond's mouth shut whenever he so much as whispered to his friends. But as Naruto stared into the intruder's hard eyes, the teen had never been so quiet.

Even without the strong hand covering his mouth, Naruto doubted he'd be capable of screaming. It felt as though someone had injected ice into his throat. Barely a few seconds had passed when the masked intruder repeated the same question. "I'm not going to ask you again," he spat. "Where's does the Uchiha keep his money?" He demanded. Naruto winced as his hair was pulled so tightly, that the teen feared he'd be left with a bald patch afterwards.

As painful as it was, the sensation helped kick start the teenager's senses. "How does this moron expect me to answer when he's covering my mouth?" He thought angrily. Unable to speak all Naruto could do was glare at his attacker.

"Well, he's not going to answer you like that," a cool voice pointed out.

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard the second voice. "Wait, there's two of them?" Sure enough, a second masked figure appeared next to him. Just like his partner, he also wore all black and a ski mask. Naruto could only see the man's icy blue eyes widen in shock.

"Wait a minute, that's not Sasuke," his accomplice exclaimed.

At that moment, the taller man took his hand away from Naruto's mouth. "What the hell is going on here?" He demanded. "You told me Sasuke Uchiha lived on campus. The next thing I know this idiot walks in here. He doesn't even look like him," he pointed out

At last, Naruto's vocal chords seemed to work again. "No shit Sherlock!" Instead of feeling satisfaction from this act of defiance, the orange-clad instantly regretted his brave outburst. The punch came to the face came so fast Naruto didn't have time to block it. Just because Naruto knew it was coming didn't lessen the blow. "Probably not a good idea." the blond thought as he nursed his throbbing jaw.

When the man went to hit Naruto again, his sidekick calmly intervened. "Be careful, we don't want to damage this one too much. He might not be Sasuke, but he still might prove useful," he pointed out.

It was at that moment that Naruto acknowledged the two intruders were dead serious. "These guys aren't messing around, I need to get out of here and fast," he told himself.

Without giving his escape plan too much thought, Naruto made a frantic dash for the door. Without any hesitation, the blond tried to push past the two intruders. His escape was over in seconds, and Naruto's captor had him in a headlock. Naruto could feel every one of the man's bludging muscles pressing against his throat. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"Oh come now, there's no need for any more violence," he said. "Luckily for you, I came prepared for just a situation." Naruto could only watch as the smaller of the two disappeared into the bathroom.

"Came prepared, what does he mean by that?" The teen didn't have to wait long for an answer. Less than a few seconds later, the accomplice emerged from the bathroom holding a wet cloth.

"Here we go, this should make you a little more co-operative." Without saying another word, he pressed the wet rag over Naruto's mouth and nose.

As soon as they put the rag over his mouth, Naruto quickly recognised the sweet burning fluid. "This is chloroform," he realised.

As Naruto continued to fight, it became apparent to the blond that the two burgers were steadily losing their patience. "Hurry up, this son of a bitch is making too much noise," he warned.

By now, even the cool-headed accomplice seemed to be losing his cool. "I'm trying, I thought this stuff was supposed to work quickly," he shot Naruto a scolding look as if it was somehow it was the blond's fault. "Maybe it would work faster if you could hold him still for a moment," he pointed out pushing the cloth harder against Naruto's mouth.

While the chloroform soaked rag wasn't making Naruto drowsy, it was making it difficult to breathe. Becoming more and more lightheaded, Naruto began to panic. "If this keeps up, I'm going to suffocate." After struggling with his two attackers, the orange-clad came to understand he couldn't overpower his two attackers alone. "Alright, if I'm going to get out of this, then I'm going to have to outsmart them." Putting his new plan into action, Naruto gradually slowed his struggles down before going completely limp.

At first, both of the men became alarmed by their captives sudden lack of movement. The stronger of the two almost dropped the teen of the floor. "Oi, what's wrong with him?" He asked. "Don't tell me he's dead." he panicked.

When Naruto felt them remove the cloth from his mouth, the teen surpassed his need to gasp for air. "Looks like you're not going to prison just yet my friend, he's still breathing. Our guest won't be giving us any more trouble, for now," he announced.

Naruto remained motionless, even when his captors tied a gag around his mouth. Next, the blond felt them bound his wrists and ankles with plastic cable ties. Once the pair finished, Naruto felt them gently place him on the bed. The orange-clad waited for the dizziness to subside before he tested his restraints. To avoid detection, the blond wriggled his wrists but found they were too tight. "What do I do now?" He asked himself. Unable to escape, Naruto deiced to listen to what the two masked men were saying.

From the way the pair were arguing, Naruto sensed his captors hadn't planned for this. Even with his eyes closed, Naruto could immediately recognise the deeper voice. "Any more bright ideas?" He growled. "I thought you said this would be easy money," he demanded.

The calmer voice spoke next. "It's simple, we'll just wait for the Uchiha to return," he answered. "When Sasuke comes back we'll force him to pay a ransom in exchange for his roommate's safe return," he said tapping Naruto's leg.

It sounded like a simple solution, but his comrade didn't sound entirely convinced by the plan. "Why would a rich snob like Sasuke will pay to rescue him?" He asked sceptically.

Naruto heard the second intruder let out a small laugh."You see that's the difference between you and me," he purred. "Less privileged people, like yourself, always assume that money is what keeps families like mine going, but in truth, we treasure our reputation more than anything else," He stated. "I can assure you our friend Sasuke, is no different." He finished.

While his two captors planned their next move, Naruto focused on getting his breathing back to normal. With his oxygen supply replenished, the teen began plotting another way to escape. The blond's attempts to break the zip cables had only made his wrists sore. "I'm almost glad Sasuke isn't here to see this," he could almost hear the rest of his classmates laughing at his predicament.

Despite only exchanging a few words, Naruto realised he'd already learned some valuable details about the two intruders. "Those two have seen one too many cop films." He deduced. "Hey, the big one knew how to strangle me, that means he knows self-defence." Even with these facts Naruto still didn't know what to do. "None of this crap is helpful." The blond wished he'd paid more attention in class.

When out of nowhere Naruto remembered something. "That's right, Kakashi-Sensei mentioned something about a dominant and a submissive relationship in these kinds of crimes," The smaller one brought lots of things with him so he's probably the smart one, while that another guy is just the muscle." It was then Naruto felt a small ray of hope. "Maybe I can't get past the stronger one, but I might stand a chance with his buddy. All I need is an opening then maybe I can make another run for it." Until he remembered one small detail.

"But how on earth am I supposed to do that?" Naruto asked himself. "I can't exactly fight or run with my arms and legs tied."While Naruto tried to figure that out, the duo said something that made his blood run cold. "What if the Uchiha refuses?" He put in.

"With a punch like yours, I'm sure you can be very persuasive." He said.

Naruto froze when pictured Sasuke being tied to a chair and being then punched into a bloody pulp. "No matter what happens to me, I won't let them hurt Sasuke," he vowed.

"Now's my chance," the teen thought. With a swift kick to the teen's one of his attackers withering in agony, Naruto dragged himself towards the door. But before the teen could complete his journey, the larger intruder grabbed his legs and pulled him down to the ground.

"Not so fast," he spat dragging Naruto back. Instead of throwing him back on the bed like Naruto expected. The man didn't even pause when he passed his injured comrade. Despite his situation, Naruto felt anger at this action. "Looks like there's no honour among thieves after all." The teen quickly forgot his anger when he realised they were leading him to the bathroom.

"I've had it with your strategic bull shit," he declared. "From now on we're doing this my way." When Naruto stared into the man's eyes the teenager could almost see the desperation and anger pouring out of his attacker. "After all the trouble I've gone through, there's no way I'm leaving here empty handed." He opened the bathroom door and practically threw his prisoner to the ground.

The orange-clads head spun when he hit the floor. But Naruto quickly recovered from his daze when heard the unmistakable sound of running water. In an instant the blond became hysterical. "No, No Not that anything but that." He thought. Desperate to escape, the blond began kicking at his larger attacker with all his might.

* * *

No less than a few meters away from the chaos, Sasuke remained oblivious to his roommate's predicament.

In his childhood, Sasuke would walk past a group without a second thought. But for the first time in his life, the introvert started to. During lunch when he'd watch Naruto, Sasuke began watching and listening as they talked about their day. During these observations, Sasuke noticed the girls would go into every detail about their lives, while the boys would usually play jokes on one another.

Even though the topics were different, they all shared a common trait, everyone talked so naturally and never hesitated to join a group. As Sasuke watched his classmate's interact with each other without a second thought, he became envious. "Just how do people make bonds in the first place?" He asked himself.

When the moment threatened to depress him, Sasuke had to remind himself that he wasn't completely inept at being social. "It's not like I can't make friends," the teen thought to himself. "Somehow I forged a bond with Neji, I can use that as a reference." Sasuke thought back to when he first met the reserved teen. "Come to think of it, I don't remember how that happened." He thought.

Embarrassed by his poor memory, Sasuke shook his head. "This shouldn't be that hard to figure out, after all, friendships aren't that complicated. All I need to do is find something in common with Naruto." He told himself.

Warped up in his thoughts, Sasuke didn't realise his phone was vibrating in his pocket. The teen almost ignored the message until he saw Neji's name appear on the screen. Sasuke didn't even think twice about opening the text message. "It was nice chatting with you after so long, I've still got some free time do you want to go for a coffee?"

Sasuke's fingers felt heavy as he responded to the text. "Sorry, I can't make it this time. I've got some studying to do." As much as Sasuke felt bad for lying to his friend, he convinced himself it was for the best. Sasuke found his sudden need to protect Neji both strange and comforting. "It was reckless of me to talk about Naruto like that," he told himself. "From now on I need to make sure I keep Neji away from that cold blooded murder. I'd never forgive myself if anything were to happen to Neji." As this tough entered Sasuke's mind, the teen squeezed his phone tightly.

He started thinking about how to get the orange-clad to confess had its own set of challenges. "If I start mentioning Sai, it could scare him off. My only chance is to try and talk to him about Kiba." When Sasuke recalled the last time he'd tried to get Naruto open up. "But just how am I supposed to do that when Naruto won't even talk about Kiba?" He asked himself.

Lost in his thoughts, Sasuke became oblivious to his surroundings. Just as he turned the corner the Uchiha bearly had time to react as Choji collided into him. As he picked himself off the floor, Sasuke couldn't recall ever seeing the overweight teen running so fast. "What's wrong with you?" He asked at last.

Choji grabbed hold of Sasuke's shoulders. "C...om..e..Na...ru..to...tro...uble." The breathless teen didn't say anything else and began frantically pulling Sasuke's arm.

Sasuke was left amazed by his classmate's strength. "I had no idea this guy was so strong." While Sasuke came to terms with this, Choji was able to drag the Uchiha a few yards. Once he recovered from the shock, Sasuke was able to yank his arm free. stood in silence as he tried to decipher Choji's mangled message. "Slow down, I can barely understand you," he told the teen.

After taking a few deep breaths, Choji tried again. "You need to come quick, Naruto's in trouble." The teen exclaimed pointing in the direction of the boys dormontraires.

At first, Sasuke wondered if this was some kind of prank. When the teen studied Choji more closely, everything about the teen from the perspiration to his panicked expression on Choji's face ruled that possibility out of the window. "There's no way this guy would have run all this way just to lure me into a trap." He deduced. "Take me to him," Sasuke ordered at last.

"Do you know for sure if Naruto's still inside?" He asked.

That's when he saw Choji's face clouded with worry. "I'm not sure," he answered quietly. "To begin with I could hear Naruto struggling, but then he just went quite. Then they started panicking and that's when I ran to get help."

Instead of panicking at this piece of information, Sasuke gave the teen a short nod. "From here on out don't make a sound," he ordered creeping slowly towards his room. The light-footed teen crouched down and pressed his ear to the door. When Sasuke listened carefully, the teen could hear was two unfamiliar voices in the room. "How much longer are we going to have to wait for the Uchiha to show up?" Sasuke's eyes widened in alarm at this. "Not good, if those two start trashing my room, they could accidentally find those bugs I planted." He thought. "If that happens, things could get much worse for both of us."

Sasuke strained his ears even more and waited for a few more seconds trying to hear Naruto. "It doesn't sound like Naruto's fighting back," he thought to himself.

Part of his plan also included thinking of an excuse to get his classmate out of the way. "Choji, I need you to go get a teacher quickly," he insisted,

Sasuke winced when he heard the boy let out a soft groan. "Why can't you go get help, you're much faster than me?" Choji complained. "I wish Shikamaru was here, he's much better at these sorts of things." He mumbled.

Sasuke rounded on his anxious classmate. "We don't have time for this," he snapped. Then a cruel idea came to Sasuke. "You said yourself that you haven't heard Naruto for awhile. There's a very strong chance he's either hurt or unconscious. Go to the library, you'll find Kakashi reading one of those stupid books of his." He explained.

But even with these new instructions, Choji still seemed hesitant to leave. "Wait, what are you going to do?" Choji asked.

"Stall for time, now go." He answered.

No sooner did Choji leave, Sasuke heard a loud thump followed by a deep voice just behind the door. "Where do you think you're going?"

"That doesn't sound too good." He thought. Sasuke carefully unlocked his door and opened just a crack. When the teen saw the coast was clear, Sasuke slowly crept inside. He cautiously peeked around the corner, the Uchiha saw one of the men sitting on the edge of the bed, nursing what looked like a broken nose. Sasuke forced down his need to gag when he saw the blood pouring down his mouth.

Flashes of his mother's blank expression flooded the teenager's memory. Taking deep breaths to calm himself. "We don't have time for this, he told himself. My suspect is trapped in there and I need to intervene before they kill him," he told himself.

With so much at stake, Sasuke forced himself to look back. To Sasuke's relief, he saw the boy had put his mask back on. "I need to move fast," Sasuke told himself.

From where he was standing, Sasuke could hear the two voices a lot clearer than before. "Quit your complaining and help me!" A deep voice called from the bathroom. "This guy's a lot stronger than he looks," the man cried out.

"Alright, I'm coming," he mumbled.

With the intruder's back turned, Sasuke grabbed the masked man from behind. Armed with the element of surprise, Sasuke easily overpowered his target and wrestled him onto the bed. Before the intruder could warn his comrade, Sasuke slammed his hand over his mouth. "Looks like I'll need to improvise a little," he realised. Using his bed sheet and pillow case to tie and gag the burglar.

With one of the burglars safely restrained, Sasuke turned his attention to rescuing Naruto. Just like before, Sasuke slowly inched his way towards the bathroom. Behind the door, the teenager could hear the distress in Naruto's voice more clearly. "Great, sounds like that idiot's panicking," he observed. "I'm going to need to finish this quickly."

Without thinking about it, Sasuke burst through the door and jumped on the man shoulders. Unlike the first intruder, Sasuke quickly understood this man was far stronger. "This guy's different, I won't be able to take him out with just force." Sure enough, his opponent was able to throw him off with ease.

"Now that's more like it," the teen said moving away from Naruto. "After the day I've had I'm going to enjoy spending all that money."

As Sasuke quickly recovered and began planning his next move. The teen pulled up everything he could remember from his self-defence classes. "Hmm, looks like those classes weren't a complete waste of my time after all," he thought. When the man charged this time, Sasuke was ready. He used the man's own momentum against him and executed a perfect throw.

With his opponent on the ground, Sasuke kicked him with his shin knocking him out. With both the men now taken care of, Sasuke returned to the bathroom. When he got inside saw shards of glass scattered around the floor. In the bath, the teen found a large duffel bag who contents included: a half empty bottle of chloroform, cable ties, rope, pepper spray and another ski mask. "I've got to admit it, these guys came prepared."

Hunched behind the toilet was crouched down and went to pull Naruto from out of the corner, but as soon as he tried to touch him the teen delivered a painful kick to the Uchiha's face. "Right, I should probably have told him it was me first," he realised. Learning from his mistake, Sasuke approached Naruto again. "Oi, it's just me dobe." Luckily for Sasuke, Naruto stopped kicking him.

"Sas...uke?" Because of the gag, his roommate's voice sounded muffled.

So used to hearing Naruto's loud voice, Sasuke found the contrast oddly amusing, to say the least. "Yeah, it's me," he confirmed. "Now, hold still a minute while I take this off you." When Sasuke carefully removed the pillow case from Naruto's head he wasn't prepared when he saw his classmate's bruised face.

Once Sasuke recovered from the shock, the teenager gently untied the gag around Naruto's mouth. Next, he used a piece of broken glass to cut the cable ties around the blond's hands and ankles. But now, Sasuke found himself slightly impressed by Naruto's fighting spirit. "Even though he was restrained and outnumbered, that idiot put up one hell of a fight." Sasuke noticed.

While Naruto was preoccupied nursing his sore wrists, the teenager didn't notice Sasuke's gaze. Try as he might, Sasuke couldn't pry his eyes at the teen's bruised face. "These two were determined to get what they were after," when Sasuke stood up the Uchiha noticed the sink had been filled with scolding hot water. He looked at Naruto but couldn't see any sign of burns.

Sasuke pulled the plug out and let the water drain away. Before the teen could ask Naruto about it, his roommate let out a cry of alarm. "Look out."

The raven turned in time to see the larger intruder wielding a knife. Sasuke dodged it and move in front of Naruto.

"I told you I'm not leaving here empty handed!" He declared.

With Naruto frozen in fear, Sasuke responded quickly by placing his body over his classmate's. Before Sasuke could kick the knife. Kakashi appeared and grabbed the man from behind. In seconds the instructor expertly pinned the knife-wielding foe against the wall with ease. Once the boy was safely restrained, Kakashi turned to his two students. "Are you two ok?" Their Sensei asked.

And just like that Naruto went back to smiling. "Nice to see you arrive on time for once, Sensei." the blond joked.

Sasuke couldn't help but notice when Kakashi frown when he saw Naruto's injuries. He quickly swept the room. "Just what happened in here?" The teacher asked sternly.

Because of this physical contact, the Uchiha became very aware of Naruto's trembling body. "It's a long story," Sasuke answered at last.

* * *

Despite the teenager's reluctance, their Kakashi ordered that they both underwent a full check up in the ambulance much to both Naruto and Sasuke's embarrassment.

To make matters even worse, word had quickly spread about the incident before the ambulance and the police even arrived. Despite the staff's best efforts, a large crowd of students had gathered outside. As both teenagers were lead into the ambulance, Naruto heard Sakura's distinctive voice in the crowd, but the orange-clad didn't dare turn to look at her.

For once Naruto was a model patient right up until the nurse asked to check his breathing. "Mr Uzumaki, I need to make sure those fumes haven't damaged your lungs." She explained. Even when the kind nurse explained the dangers, the blond point blankly refused to remove his shirt. At first, the female nurse was patient with the teen, but soon her patience was worn thin. "Sir, I know you've been through an awful shock, but I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I didn't do this."

Right on Que, Iruka opened the ambulance door. "I hear you're not being cooperative." He said folding his arms.

Far from looking angry at the intrusion, Naruto would even have dared to say that the nurse looked relieved to see Naruto's former instructor. "Maybe you'll be able to talk some sense into your student. I need to check his breathing." She explained.

When Naruto looked up, he saw understanding flood Iruka's eyes. "My breathing's just fine," the teen argued.

"Nurse, can I have a private word with you?" The instructor asked.

Now that the shock had worn off, Naruto could feel the bruises started to throb. Rather than dull the pain, the blond welcomed the distraction from what almost happened. "Sasuke, when they ask what happened, don't tell them about the bathroom." He asked.

His roommate turned to look at him. "Why not?" The Uchiha demanded. "Those two were about to waterboard you." Sasuke's stoic expression never once changed.

Naruto found it almost impossible look at his roommate."I..I..I just don't want to worry Iruka and Kakashi anymore than I have to. You know what he's like. If Iruka-Sensei finds out what they almost did he'll go all bodyguard. Trust me on this, nothing will stop Iruka-Sensei from getting to those two, he'll lose his job. Besides, they just wanted to scare me that's all." He finished.

Even when they stopped speaking, Naruto could still feel Sasuke looking at him.

A few minutes later, both Iruka and the nurse came back. When the medic spoke, her voice had returned to its gentle tone. "Mr, Uzumaki, follow me we'll continue the rest of the examination in private," she said softly.

* * *

After the nurse gave Sasuke a clean bill of health, he was immediately escorted to the headmaster's office. Sasuke found it odd that Naruto had asked him to keep such an important detail of his ordeal a secret from his instructors. "But on the bright side at least he actually trusted me enough to keep a secret." He thought.

From the moment Sasuke stepped into the office, the teen felt an odd atmosphere. While Sasuke had only met with the headmaster a few times, he'd never seen the usually kindhearted headmaster look so serious before. "Headmaster, how did those two-"

With a simple wave of his hand, Saratobi stopped Sasuke from speaking."I know you've probably got a lot of questions Sasuke, but we'll wait for Naruto before we start, I think it's better if we get both of your statements together." He began. "Before Naruto does arrive, I do want to say that was a very brave thing you did today, both Kakashi and I are very impressed with your quick thinking."

A few minutes later, both Naruto and Iruka arrived.

Kakashi seemed surprised to see their former instructor with his student. "I understand how you feel Iruka, but we don't need you_"

Iruka jumped in before Kakashi could finish his sentence. "Naruto asked me to be here." Sasuke couldn't help but detect the hint of smugness in Ithe instructors voice.

While both his teacher's glared at one another, Naruto looked at them awkwardly. "Did the medics clear you ok Naruto?" Saratobi asked.

Sasuke watched as the teen nervously scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, my breathings ok," he replied. "I just a have a little headache, that's all." He said taking his seat next to Sasuke.

With Naruto seated, the headmaster began. "Firstly, I want to say I'm very relieved to see you're both alive and well," he started. "From what Kakashi already told me about the attack, this could have been a different story." Sasuke saw a flicker of anger appear in the old man's eyes. "Second, I want to assure you both that we're doing everything we can to get to the bottom of this," he promised.

In just a few seconds, Sasuke could already see what the headmaster was up to. "This sound more like damage control, I wonder if he even intends to answer any of my questions." Curious Sasuke put his theory to the test. "Do you have any idea why those two broke into our room?" the teenager asked. To the Uchiha's great surprise, the headmaster seemed more than willing to share what he already knew.

"At this stage, I'm afraid we can't tell you much. However, we do know one thing. At some point, the two young men involved heard a rumour you hide large amounts of money in your room." Saratobi began.

Sasuke felt his stomach drop at this unexpected news. "So, two were after me." He was saved from everyone's gaze when Naruto jumped in.

"Yeah, they kept asking me where he kept it." Everyone's attention was now focused on Naruto.

The blond seemed to calm up again. "Just tell them what you told me." Iruka encouraged gently.

Sasuke listened as Naruto relived the moment he'd gone to his room to study only to be ambushed the second he opened his books. "Of all times you deiced to actually motivate yourself." Sasuke thought.

The Uchiha noticed Naruto's voice became more wobbly when he explained the rest of his ordeal."It didn't take them long to realise I wasn't Sasuke. That's when they put that cloth over my mouth." He explained. "I couldn't break free so I pretended to pass out. They only started hitting me when I tried to escape, I managed to crawl to the bathroom that's when Sasuke came." He lied.

Sasuke eyed Naruto with surprise at his ingenuity. "Even in that situation, he still had the sense to fake unconsciousness to fool his attackers. You are just full of surprises." Sasuke couldn't help but smile. "It sounds like he's sticking with his story. But what I don't understand is, why doesn't he want them to know?" He wondered.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Sasuke changed the subject a little. "What I want to know is how did those two get into our rooms in the first place?" Sasuke asked.

Saratobi seemed to hesitate this time. "We're not completely sure at this moment in time, however when the police searched them they had a copy of your room key." He answered placing the small piece of metal on the table.

Naruto started shaking his head. "But that doesn't make any sense," the blond started. "Both of us still had our keys at that time." Naruto pointed out.

Kakashi eyed the pair carefully for a moment. "That's what we're trying to find out. Have either of you two loaned your key to anyone recently?" Kakashi asked. "Or have they gone missing, only to turn up again a few hours later?"

The blond started shaking his head at the idea. "No, I keep it on me at all times," Naruto explained.

The conversation suddenly shifted to Sasuke's handling of the situation. "Just what on earth were you thinking Sasuke?" Iruka demanded. "Going in that room alone without back up, I expected more from you." What happened next surprised all three adults.

"It's not Sasuke's fault," Naruto blurted out. "He was just trying to help me."

Iruka's face softened slightly. "That's not the point, both of you could have been_"

Kakashi stepped in before the instructor could finish lecturing Naruto. "Now, let's not get too emotional." He began. "While I'll agree Sasuke's actions were far from conventional, he did stall for time until I got there," the instructor pointed out.

"I think we can all agree that both of you acted admirably under the circumstances," Saratobi praised. "You should be proud of both of your students, you've taught them well."

While Sasuke was happy to bask in the glory for a moment, his roommate didn't seem to want to be praised. "So what happens now," Naruto asked.

"We'll need to arrange to have your room fixed up, in the meantime it would be best if you two went home for a few days." He suggested. Before either of them could protest, the headmaster cut them off. "This is non-negotiable," he began. "We've already contacted Naruto's guardian, but we couldn't get a hold of your brother. But luckily, we were able to contact his partner. Izumi is on her way to collect you." He said smiling warmly.

"Hn." Sasuke didn't share Saratobi's ethanium. "That's just typical of Izumi," he thought. "I'll bet she's enjoying poking her nose in my families affairs again." He settled.

* * *

After enduring two days of his brother's girlfriend's non-stop fussing, Sasuke was almost glad to return to his studies. On the first day back Naruto met him at the reception where they were both given a new set of keys and their locks were changed.

When the pair returned to their room, Naruto had thanked him. But other than that teen seemed awkward around him.

That wasn't the only thing that seemed odd. Over the next few days, Sasuke began to notice a sudden change in his roommate's routine. Normally Naruto but now the blond wouldn't stay in their room alone. He'd also seen the blue-eyed teen jump at the slightest noise. To prove his theory, one day Sasuke deliberately slammed their bedroom door louder than he needed to. Sure enough, Naruto jumped ten feet in the air.

For once Sasuke didn't need any help understanding Naruto's behaviour.

While he hadn't been injured in the attack, that didn't mean to say that Sasuke wasn't completely unscathed. Since the incident, the teenager had become even more aware of his surroundings. Even with his music on the teen kept an eye out for anything suspicious.

Alone with nothing else to do, Sasuke wandered over to his bedside table. The teen pulled out a small jewellery box. Inside was a neckless in the shape of his clan's crest. "At least they didn't find this," he told himself. Soon after attending college, Sasuke stopped wearing the precious memento. "I can't ever lose this," he told himself.

Sasuke gently removed the piece of jewellery and put it on. For a moment the teen carefully traced the red and white fan with his finger. "I promise to keep it safe this time mum," he whispered.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a phone. As soon as Sasuke heard the phone ringing he jumped off the bed and grabbed the device.

Orochimaru's cold voice on the other end. "Hello, Sasuke-Kun, I hope I'm not disturbing you." He said.

"No, it's fine, I've got a few minutes before class." Sasuke quickly checked the door and made sure it was locked. "Hey yourself," Even with the door locked, the black-haired teen still kept his voice low just in case.

After a brief greeting, the man got straight down to business. "I'm very happy to hear your little adventure hasn't shaken confidence. I was worried you'd feel a little betrayed, but I'm sure you'll understand that I couldn't simply intervene." he began.

"It's a good job you didn't, otherwise you could have blown my cover." He pointed out. Sasuke shrugged off the detective's odd comment. "Like said, it's nothing I couldn't handle, besides our suspect seems a little more trusting now." He said checking the door once again.

"I'm very interested to know, how did our suspect like being on the receiving end for a change?" Orochimaru asked.

The teen thought about his answer for a moment. "In all honesty, it's difficult to tell, he's all bright a cheerful one minute, then nervous the next."

"Everyone has a mask they wear to hide their true nature." What the homicide detective said next would change the mood completely. "Weren't you even just a little tempted to let that knife complete its journey?" The detective asked.

Sasuke froze and thought about the implication of his mentor's words. "Being sat behind a desk most days seeing the worst side of human nature, I suppose it's only natural for him to want to see the tables turned for once," the teenager concluded. "No," he said at last. "Even if they'd beaten him to a pulp, it wouldn't have bought the families justice." Sasuke pointed out.

The Uchiha heard the pale man let out a sigh. "Oh to be young and full of ambition," he said quietly. "Have you learned anything new about our young suspect?"

Sasuke wondered if his mentor would become cross with his lack of information. "We haven't spoken much since the break in, but at least I haven't had to to pick him up off the floor again," he noted.

The teenager couldn't be sure, but he swore he heard someone laughing in the background. "So it seems, I have to admit Kabuto and I found your integration tactics rather interesting, to say the least," the purred.

At first, Sasuke wasn't sure what the detective meant. "He's probably talking about that time Naruto fainted," he realised. The teen felt like covering his face when he pictured the pair laughing as he struggled to put the unconscious teen in bed. "I need to go, my class starts in a few minutes, I'll call you tomorrow and give you a full update," he promised.

Before he returned the phone back to its hiding place Sasuke realised something. "This might not be a total loss after all. Not now that we both have something in common." He smirked a little. "Who knows, I might actually end up thanking those two idiots."

* * *

Before moving onto campus, Sasuke never had any trouble sleeping. The first night with Naruto Sasuke almost became a murderer himself. Because of his roommate's constant snoring, Sasuke decided to wear ear plugs at night. If the teen hadn't put them in that night, he would have heard something other than snoring during the night. During the night Naruto quietly murmured names in his sleep. "No, Kiba. I'm so sorry please." The teen rolled over in the bed again. "Mum, dad, help me I can't.." A few seconds later the blond shot up bed soaked in sweat. The flashbacks and nightmares were beginning to take their toll on the blond.

Shaken by his dream, it took a few minutes for Naruto to get his bearings. When he realised he was in his own bed the teen relaxed a little.

But once the teen returned to the room, the nightmares only seemed to get worse. Every night Naruto would find himself in the dark cold water unable to breathe. When he was able to pull himself out he'd wake up in a cold sweat. The lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll on the exhausted teen. "If this keeps up, then I'm going to start falling asleep in class." Part of Naruto's new routine included checking on Sasuke. Naruto found he settled down a lot quicker whenever he saw the distinctive duck-butt hair style on the pillow. "It's a good thing Sasuke's a heavy sleeper," he thought to himself.

Just then the teen felt his bladder complaining. "No, not now," Naruto thought to himself pulling the covers over his body. Ever since the harrowing incident, the teen avoided using the bathroom and instead used the gym's showers and toilets.

At first, Naruto tried to go back to sleep, but soon the urge became unbearable. He tossed and turned for a few minutes before the teenager finally admitted defeat and his threw off his bed sheets. Naruto took a deep breath. "Oh come on this is stupid, it's just a bathroom for goodness sake." Before he lost his nerve again the blond walked into the small suite.

To begin the scene unnerved him a little. But once Naruto relieved himself he soon forgot his worries for a moment.

Within hours of the break in, Naruto constantly played the event over and over thinking about what he could have done differently. Every time Naruto thought about it, he'd always find himself thinking abut his roommate's brave actions. "I still can't believe Sasuke did that for me." At the time, Sasuke's courage had touched him, but he kept seeing the knife plunge into Sasuke's flesh. "Sasuke could have been hurt or worse, and all because I wasn't strong enough to get myself free," he thought to himself.

Naruto's gaze found it's way to the corner on the bathroom. As he stared at the empty space the teen recalled the moment Sasuke used his own body as a shield. "He didn't even hesitate, it was like second nature to him," he remembered. When the teen thought about his own actions that day he stared at his reflection with shame. "Meanwhile, all I did was break a guy's nose and freeze up like a coward while Sasuke just knew what to do." he thought sadly.

As he moved the teen accidentally kicked the bin over. "Oh great, now I can add clumsy to the list of things I can do." Naruto picked the bin up, he found a small piece of broken mirror behind the sink. Before the orange-clad knew what was happening, Naruto's hand moved towards the shard of glass on its own accord.

Hypnotised by the object, Naruto started running his fingers over the sharp edge. "I should have done more to protect him," he told himself. The teen pressed the shard of glass against his wrist. Before Naruto could break the skin, he hesitated. A large part of the teen told him to throw the piece of glass away and forget about the whole thing, But once again he found himself thinking about what almost happened to Sasuke. "This time is different, I need to do this to remind myself never to let someone risk their life for me again," he told himself. Mind made up the blond slowly took off his night-shirt.

To this day, none of his classmate's knew what lay just beneath the surface. From a distance, many people would agree that Naruto's body didn't look any different compared to any other boy his age. Most of his body was surprisingly well toned. Naruto didn't wear long-sleeved t-shirts just to hide his impressive build. Both of the blond's arms and chest were covered in scars. Even though time had made some of the marks fade, Naruto hadn't undressed in front of anyone for years, not even in front of Kiba. Even now Naruto could remember how the nurse had looked at him with pity when she saw the damage he'd done to his body.

Just before Naruto went to work, the teen stared at each and every scar. In one slow movement, Naruto dragged the sharp edge across his chest leaving a small cut. Instead of wincing at the discomfort, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He quietly watched with fascination as the blood slowly trickled down his chest.

* * *

 **Ok guy's, that's it for this chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter.**

 **Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story I'll see you all next year**


	8. Perception

**Hey, everyone, I hope you all had a great Christmas and new year. Before I start I'd like to say a big thank you for following and adding this story to your favourites. I'm so happy to see that you are all enjoying my story enough to keep going.**

 **Sorry for the late update I've been a little busy over the Christmas break. One of my targets this year is to get faster at writing.**

* * *

 **Perception**

From the moment, Sasuke agreed took on the investigation, the teenager knew the risks when he agreed to spy on Naruto. Being exposed didn't faze the stoic teen, but the very thought of sharing a room with someone he hardly knew terrified the solitary teen. Growing up in a big house with plenty of rooms, Sasuke had never shared his space before. Just as the teen predicted, it took a few days for him to adjust to his roommate's habits. Naruto's untidiness felt like a minor inconvenience compared to his snoring at night.

For the first few nights, Sasuke lay awake trying to block out his suspect's horrendous snoring. After the third night with little sleep, Sasuke took a trip to his local pharmacy and purchased a pair of ear plugs. Soon something else started happening In the past Sasuke had never paid much attention to his dreams, but recently the teenager hadn't dreamed once since he'd moved in, he couldn't be sure if his odd were down to stress.

Sasuke was woken from another dreamless sleep when the teenager sensed someone moving around. Normally, this wouldn't be enough to disturb the Uchiha's sleep, but after the recent break in Sasuke wasn't taking any chances. Through half-opened eyes, Sasuke felt a little relieved when he saw Naruto exiting the bathroom carrying a trash bag. "What is that idiot doing at this time of night?" He thought tiredly. Try as he might, Sasuke's eyes refused to focus on the clock.

"Just what do you think you're doing at this time of night?" The teen did his best to sound stern, but his voice sounded too groggy.

Sasuke felt a little better when he saw his roommate jump out of his skin. His onyx eyes noticed the bruises on the blond's face were almost healed. Naruto started scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Morning. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," the teen apologised.

Still half asleep, Sasuke almost ignored Naruto's remark until he heard the sound of birds singing. Surprised by the familiar sound, the Uchiha slowly lifted his head and saw daylight streaming through the window. "Wait a minute what time is it?" The teenager set a new record for jumping out of bed and grabbed the first thing piece of clothing that came to hand. "Why didn't you wake me!" Sasuke demanded as he frantically put his trousers on.

Most people would have fled the room in terror, but Naruto didn't seem the least bit fazed by his anger. If anything the blond teen looked a little confused. "Wait, calm down class doesn't start for another hour yet," he explained.

Now that the shock had died down, Sasuke sighed with relief and lay back down on the bed. "Since when did you get up early?" The teenager questioned.

The blond fumbled around before he responded to Sasuke's question. "Oh you see, I noticed some broken glass behind the sink, I guess they missed a spot," he answered holding up the trash bag. "Well, I couldn't just leave it there and let you step on it."

As the awkward silence continued Naruto seemed to grow more uncomfortable. "Well if that's everything I'm...just going to take this out, sorry I woke you," he apologised. As the blond went to leave his strap got caught on the bathroom door. Sasuke watched with amusement as the embarrassed teen frantically trying to free himself. He couldn't couldn't make out what his roommate said as he walked out the door. And just like that, Sasuke found himself alone in his room. "I have to admit, having a roommate is a lot more entertaining than I imagined."

As much as Sasuke enjoyed the peace and quite, the room felt empty without his suspect. At the same time, Sasuke didn't believe the blond's explanation. "Nobody gets up just to clean up a few shards of glass, especially someone like him. Maybe I should have followed Naruto this morning."

With so many questions going through his head, Sasuke couldn't fall asleep. "It doesn't look like I'm getting any more sleep," he mumbled rubbing his eyes. Just as Sasuke begrudgingly admitted defeat, the teenager got an idea. "Now that Naruto's out of the way, I can search through his possessions." With his mind made up, Sasuke pulled himself out of bed and got dressed.

The last thing the Uchiha did before starting was retrieve his watch from the bathroom. "With the evidence we've gathered so far, it's very unlikely they'd be able to obtain a search warrant." The first thing on his mind was to prevent any cross-contamination Sasuke. He was always aware that Orochimaru and Kabuto were watching his every move.

With Sasuke's hands properly protected, the teenager began sifting through the random objects on Naruto's desk. Like everything else that belonged to Naruto, his desk was just as disorganised. On his desk were a few plants that were surprisingly well looked after. As Sasuke placed his hand on the desk he felt a sharp pain in his thumb. He instinctively pulled away and saw he's caught his thumb on Naruto's cactus. "Who the hell keeps a cactus in the first place?" He mumbled. So far he only had a cut thumb to show for it.

This was the first time Sasuke had taken the time to look at the photograph. The photo showed a slightly younger Naruto, standing beside to a much taller man with long white hair. "This must be Naruto's guardian," he realised. Sasuke couldn't ignore the nagging feeling at the back of his mind. "I've seen this man before," he told himself. Try as he might Sasuke couldn't recall how he knew the man. Defeated once again, Sasuke carefully put the picture back.

Determined not to come up empty, Sasuke decided to have a peek inside the wooden draws, but when the teen pulled at the wooden draw it refused to open. "Something inside must be blocking it," he reasoned. Sasuke carefully reached inside and pulled the obstruction until it came free. "So this is why the draw wouldn't open." Sasuke easily recognised all the people in the photo. Choji eating ice cream, right next to Naruto sat Kiba. "Why isn't this with the other picture?"

Inside was a combination of abstract drawings and still life."There's no way this belongs to Naruto," Sasuke realised. Hoping to find more answers Sasuke turned to the back of the sketchbook. There in the corner in the neatest handwriting, Sasuke had ever seen was a name he hadn't expected to find. The Uchiha blinked twice to check he'd read the name right. "This book...it belonged to him." Memories of the pale teen carrying the book wherever he went.

 _Property of Sai._

A few seconds went by before the teenager realised he'd been holding his breath. "This is it, our first real piece of evidence that links Naruto to one of the victims." Calming himself down, Sasuke carefully took a picture with his second phone and sent it to Orochimaru.

After the shocking discovery, Sasuke couldn't recall the journey to his class. Ever since he found the sketchbook his heart hadn't stopped slamming against his chest. For the first time in Sasuke's academic life, the teenager considered skipping class so he could deliver Orochimaru the news in person.

When Sasuke didn't immediately notice the presence standing over him, the teen looked up and saw Iruka with his arms folded. The teen waited for the instructor to start lecturing another student. But after a few seconds, it finally dawned on the Uchiha that Iruka was staring at him. He'd come very accustomed to seeing the instructor scowl at other students but not himself.

While Sasuke slipped into a daydream, the teen hadn't noticed the class had already started. In a final bid to save himself, Sasuke tried to hide the phone from his teacher's sight.

"I think we both know it's a little too late for that," Iruka held out his hand. "You can have it back at the end of the week."

Sasuke's heart sank when he thought about the repercussions of losing his phone. "Damn it, how could I have been so careless?" He thought. "Without this phone, I can't keep in touch with Orochimaru." If he'd been caught by a different instructor, the teen was sure he'd be able to convince them to let him off the hook. But Iruka famous for not backing down with anyone. After weighing up his options, Sasuke reluctantly handed the phone to him.

"I'm very disappointed in you Mr, Uchiha, I don't expect this kind of behaviour from you." Sasuke could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Now that we've solved that mystery, let's get the class under way." Just as the instructor went to write on the board. "Oh, one more thing before we begin, I've been asked to remind you all there will be a special self-defense class before lunch." He pointed out.

Sasuke looked at the front of the class and saw Naruto looking back at him. He through the teen one of his families famous glares at the blond did the trick.

* * *

Most the students had pulled out their short sleeved t-shirts and sunglasses. While the rest of his class made the most of the good weather, Naruto felt a little uncomfortable in his orange jumpsuit. "Maybe I should have worn my long sleeved T-shirt today," he thought. Naruto's throbbing shoulder refused to let the teen forget what he did last night. "I just hope I got rid of all the blood this morning." He kept going over it again and again. "Stop it, that's the last time I ever do that."

Naruto started remembering all the times his old coping strategy helped him sleep for the first time in weeks. The only thing keeping Naruto sane this morning was the self-defence class. He'd thought about nothing else all morning. The image of Sasuke throwing himself in the path of the knife still haunted him. "I'll never freeze up like that again, while someone else saves me," the teen vowed.

For two friends Kakashi and Guy couldn't look more different as the approached. Kakashi and Guy sped towards them.

Naruto's teacher didn't even look out of breath from his warm up. "Did we really need to get here so early?" Kakashi asked.

Guy smiled at his aloof friend and rival. "Yes my eternal rival, I wouldn't want you to miss teaching the next generation." The instructor turned to the large crowd. "So many students eager to learn our skills. Alright, the power of youth is strong today!" He proclaimed. "Alright everyone, lets get this class started."

Before the enthusiastic teacher could begin with his signature entrance, Kakashi interrupted him. "Guy, I think it might be best if start the introduction this time," he suggested.

As Kakashi stepped forward, Naruto couldn't remember a time his teacher looked so serious. "In light of recent events, the headmaster asked Guy and me to organise a self-defense class for all of you." Kakashi paid no attention to the groaning students. "I know most of you have better things to do than learning how to protect yourselves."

While most of the students wisely kept their complaints to themselves, someone in the crowd couldn't help but voice their opinion. "Why do we need to learn hand-to-hand combat anyway, most of the time we'll have a gun to protect ourselves?" He said.

Both instructors turned towards the source of the noise. This time Kakashi didn't intervene when Guy jumped in. "There will be times when a gun isn't enough," he told them. "I've never used a gun in the line of duty." The instructor boasted. "Every person I bought down has been with my bare fists."

Naruto couldn't help but smile at this. While most of his peers mocked their energetic teacher, Naruto respected his instructor. "Maybe I should have worn the green outfit he gave me, but I'm pretty sure Kakashi would disown me if he caught me wearing that." The teen almost laughed when he pictured Kakashi's embarrassed face.

Naruto's daydream was cut short by Kakashi's calm voice. "We can hear some of your war stories another time Guy, for now, I want everyone to pick a sparring partner," he said.

Naruto's eyes widened. "What! Partners I thought this would be a demonstration." Naruto felt a little awkward as he watched everyone else pick a partner. For the second time in a row, Sasuke approached him.

"I thought we could be partners." His rival offered.

The blond wanted to rip his hair out. "Oh god is this some kind of cruel joke?" Naruto cried. From the very first day of university, Naruto had dreamt of sparing with Sasuke. Whenever the blond got bored during class, Naruto would often fantasise about the best way he could defeat Sasuke in a fight. But now the very thought of facing his rival filled Naruto with dread. Every time Naruto didn't resist when Sasuke threw him to the ground. With each embarrassing defeat, Naruto grew more frustrated with himself. "What the hell is wrong with me?" Naruto asked himself. "I can't get near him without feeling like I'm going to be sick."

After what must have been the blond's tenth defeat in a row, Sasuke stood opposite him. "You know you might stand a chance of beating me if you just took off that hideous jumper of yours," he suggested.

Naruto's blood ran cold at the suggestion. It didn't require much imagination to picture everyone's horrified reactions to his scarred flesh. Before Sasuke could see the fear in his eyes, Naruto quickly shot down the offer. "No way Uchiha, I can kick your ass in anything," the blond confidently, although he doubted he could.

Sasuke snorted at his comeback. "Could have fooled me," he said.

It might have just been Naruto's imagination, but it felt like his opponent threw the teen much harder than he had in their previous matches. A sharp pain shot through Naruto's shoulder when he made contact with the padded surface. An involuntary yelp escaped Naruto's lips when he crashed onto the mat. Unlike their previous spar, Sasuke didn't get off the blond straight away. The teen bent down and whispered into his ear. "That's funny, I could have sworn you screamed louder than that before," the teen whispered.

"No more fooling around, this time I'm going to show you what I can do," Naruto vowed. With the blond's determination restored he stood up. Unlike the previous sessions, Naruto studied Sasuke's movements closely and waited for an opening. When his opponent lunged forward Naruto calmly grabbed Sasuke's arm and kicked his feet from underneath him. In no more than three seconds Sasuke was perfectly restrained.

Everything went eerily quite Naruto looked up and saw the whole class could see him on top of Sasuke. Not even his rival's fangirls said a word as they watched the object of their affection lying sprawled on the ground. "What have I done?" Overcome with guilt, Naruto quickly helped Sasuke to his feet. Just as the blond tried to apologise, he heard someone clapping behind him.

As both the instructors approached them, Naruto noticed Kakashi's warm expression. "Excellent technique, Naruto," Kakashi praised.

Even Guy looked surprised to hear his rivals kind words.

Try as he might, Naruto couldn't suppress the blush making its way to his cheeks. "It was nothing really, I just got lucky. Sasuke beat me a bunch of times," the teen pointed out hoping to dodge the attention.

Kakashi gave his student a sceptical look. "Oh is that so, why don't we ask your classmates and see what they think about your 'luck'" Before Naruto could stop his teacher he was already facing the crowd. "Can anyone here explain how Naruto was able to beat Sasuke?" He asked.

Naruto let out a soft sigh when no one answered. The blond's relief didn't last long when someone in the crowd called out. "Sasuke became overconfident and let his guard down." A nervous voice called out.

"Excellent observation," the instructor praised. "It's important to never underestimate your opponent." While Kakashi went into more detail Naruto noticed Sasuke collecting his shirt and tie. "Hey, you ok?" Naruto tried to talk to Sasuke, but the teen was already walking away from him.

* * *

Sasuke thought everyone would forget about it before lunch, he was soon proven wrong. To make matters worse, someone in the crowd had managed to film the entire thing. The irate teen decided to eat his lunch elsewhere, he kept walking until he ended up at the park. As soon as Sasuke stepped into the park, the smell of freshly cut grass filled his nostrils. Not even the peaceful surroundings could improve his dampened mood.

Instead of diving into his favourite lunch, Sasuke scowled at his tomato sandwiches. Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat when he heard a text alert. His happiness lasted all of five seconds, his disappointment was made worse when the teenager saw Itachi's name. "Oh that's right, my other phone is inside my teacher's desk," he remembered.

Curious the teen opened the message. _"I'm glad to see your landing has improved, little brother."_

The anger he'd been suppressing all day surged through Sasuke's body. It took all the teenagers self-restraint not to throw his phone at a tree. "Oh, so now Itachi has time to talk to me," he seethed. "I can be robbed at knife point without so much as a phone call, meanwhile Neji tried calling me at least a dozen times during the week." The teenager recalled.

Ever since they'd been children, Itachi seemed to take pleasure whenever he taunted Sasuke. Most of the time Sasuke learned to ignore his brother's irritating behaviour, but after enduring two humiliations in one day, Sasuke's tolerance had worn out. The teen was surprised at how fast he could text. _"How kind of you to find time in your busy schedule to talk to me. I'm surprised you didn't just ask your gold digging girlfriend to send the text for you!"_ Before the teen changed his mind he pressed send. Sasuke felt some satisfaction from sending the message.

"Do you mind if I join you?" A voice asked.

Even after sending the text Sasuke's anger still hadn't dissipated. "Let me guess, Naruto put you up to this didn't he?" He saw the girl's eyes widen in surprise. "So I'll bet his other loser friends are hiding somewhere just waiting for the chance to humiliate me again," he accused. Sasuke knew deep down he was being harsh, but before that realisation dawned on him, Sakura gave him a wake-up call.

With lightning speed, Sakura poured her bottle of water all over his head. "Firstly; Naruto doesn't know I'm here, secondly, I only wanted to make sure you're alright." she finished. "I can promise you I won't do it again," with that the girl stormed off.

At first, Sasuke planned to let the medical walk away when something important came to mind. "She's always hanging around with Naruto." He remembered. "There's a good chance she knows something. But she's even more annoying than Naruto." Sasuke wasn't sure of if he could be able to tolerate the girl long enough to learn anything. As the teenager's watched his potential witness walking further away he swallowed his pride. He ran after Sakura and grabbed her wrist. "Wait, look I'm...sorry...today's been a little tough." The last word proved very difficult to say. "I'm not used to being beaten like that," he admitted.

The medical student looked sympathetic-which in some ways was even worse than being mocked. "I've known Naruto for a long time, he can be a bit of a show-off at times, but he'd never intentionally embarrass you like that." She said softly but there was still an edge in her tone.

Sasuke almost about to deny her comment but stopped himself. The pair sat back down Sasuke handed her his drink.

The medical student played with her drink for awhile before she spoke again. "Actually, there's another reason why I followed you here," she admitted. What Sakura said next would leave him speechless. "While I was watching the self-defence class, it occurred to me I never thanked you for helping Naruto that day." She said.

Sasuke wasn't used to being thanked like this, especially by someone who'd practically stalked him for over a month. "I didn't do that much. Kakashi is the one who saved us really. He's the one you need to thank for saving your boyfriend," he mumbled.

The Uchiha barely missed the spray of fluid. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun" she spluttered once her coughing fit eased the girl burst into laughter. "I swear I'm not laughing at you Sasuke-kun," she promised.

The teenager felt his stomach drop at her reaction. "So...you two aren't a couple?" He asked hoping beyond anything that she was laughing at something else.

"Oh god no, I'm not his type," Sakura explained wiping her mouth. "What made you think Naruto was interested in me?" The medical student asked once she'd recovered from her coughing fit.

The question caught Sasuke off guard. "Damn, I wasn't expecting her to ask me that." Sasuke couldn't continue asking his questions unless he came up with a distant excuse. Thankfully, the teenage's salvation came to him just in time. "A while ago, I overheard someone saying Naruto got into a fight with another student," he explained. "People think they were fighting over you." Sasuke decided not to mention Sai's name.

Without warning, Sakura's warm expression changed. "No, they weren't fighting over me," she said at last. "But it was my fault that Naruto attacked that student." It looked like she wanted to say something else but didn't.

"How's Naruto doing these days?" She asked casually.

This was the first time Sakura had spoken to him without going into fangirl mode. "I don't know him that well," he lied. "But I've noticed he ignores his phone a lot." Just as the teen predicted, he saw anger flare in Sakura's eyes.

Sakura's body began to shake a little. "I should have known Naruto was lying about his phone not working," she seethed throwing her crushed water bottle in the bin. "Why does that idiot keep pushing me away, can't he see I just want to help him?" She stared at the ground.

Sasuke saw his chance and took it. "Do you know why he's avoiding you?" It suddenly occurred to the teen that he should come up with a reason for asking first. "I always used to see you all hang out together all the time." Sasuke noticed the girl's eyes shine with tears. "Great that's all I need, if she starts crying, I'm leaving."

Luckily Sakura quickly rubbed her eye. "Ever since Kiba died, Naruto's not been himself," she explained. "I know that might sound hard to believe, but I just know this is hurting him."

When it looked as though his best witness was about to clam up, Sasuke pressed even more. "Kiba and Naruto were close then?" Even with his little knowledge on interactions, the teenager did know about grief and that he had to tread carefully from now on.

Sakura's green eyes shone brightly. "Yes, Naruto and Kiba were inseparable. "You could always find them getting into all sorts of trouble. If Naruto was planning a prank, you could always find Kiba helping Naruto escape." She started laughing at something. "This one time, Kiba smuggled his dog into school, and the dog stole Naruto's lunch."

Sasuke noticed Sakura's lower lip trembling. "I know I didn't make the best first impression, I'm sorry," she said. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you could keep an eye on Naruto from me?" She asked.

"I'll do what I can," he said getting up. "I need to get back, sorry about before."Just when Sasuke thought it was over Sakura called after him. The teen felt his stomach lurch a little when he saw her playing with her short pink hair. "And just so you know, I'm single." And right there and then Sasuke went back to disliking the girl.

"Just so you know, I'm single," She revealed. And right there and then Sasuke went back to disliking the girl.

* * *

Back at the university, Naruto was struggling with the attention just as much as his rival. No matter where Naruto went he couldn't seem to escape the unwanted attention.

Shortly after the self-defence class, students began approaching the blond and bombarded the teen with questions. At first, Naruto was flattered by the compliments. But soon Naruto began hearing his classmates saying things about his roommate.

"It's about time someone showed that stuck up jerk." One of them said.

Naruto suspected Sasuke wasn't popular with some of his classmates, but the blond never imagined for one second Sasuke was hated so much. Soon Naruto couldn't listen to their cruel comments any longer and returned to the safety of his room.

"I can't believe they said those things about Sasuke." He murmured to himself. "If I'd know everyone was going to act like this, then I would never have..." the teen threw his school bag into the corner. "Why didn't I just let him throw me like he did before, why did I have to show off like that?"

To distract himself, Naruto tended to his beloved plants. Once they were all watered and pruned.

Naruto didn't trust himself at the moment. Every few seconds Naruto caught himself looking longingly towards the bathroom. Naruto shook his head. "No, I'm doing that again. Last night is the last time," he promised himself.

"I need something to keep me busy, something the will take hours...wait there's always Iruka's assignment he gave out today." For the first time in Naruto's life, studying felt like the best medicine. Before the blond could change his mind, Naruto pulled out his notes and a piece of paper. The teen sighed when he saw the amount of work he had to do. "I never understand why Iruka makes us write out assignments, why can't he let us use out laptops like all the other teachers?"

Just thinking about the dark-haired teen would fill Naruto's stomach with butterflies. Their accidental kiss didn't help. When their lips touched, Naruto felt something surge through his body. After Naruto's first confrontation with Sasuke, the blond. As the months went by, Naruto started to accept these feelings had nothing to do with his rivalry. The teen wasn't unfamiliar with these odd sensations.

Before now, Naruto had never been ashamed of his sexuality. When the teen finally received his acceptation letter Kiba, Choji, Sakura, and Shikamaru spent the afternoon eating ramen. Shikamaru pulled the blond to one side. Naruto hadn't forgotten what his friend said to him. "I know you don't care about what other people think of you, but I think it might be better if you didn't mention your gay." At first, Naruto couldn't understand Shikamaru's concerns, the blond's confusion soon turned to understanding. "I wonder, would Sasuke still want to share a room with me if he knew?" He didn't want to find out.

Naruto paused and buried his face in his hands. "Of all the people I could fall for, why, just why did it have to be Sasuke?" He asked out loud.

"What am I worried about it's not that bad," Naruto told himself. "It's only a small crush, I'll probably forget about that stuck up jerk in a week." With renewed hope, Naruto turned his attention back to his homework. But when the teen read his notes, Naruto noticed he'd written Sasuke's name in the corner. "Oh god no, I'm acting like his fan club." "Sakura and Ino will kill me for sure if they ever find out." He wept, suddenly Sasuke finding out didn't sound as bad as being butchered by hundreds of angry fangirls.

"Besides, it's not like the jerk would even look twice at me."

* * *

After avoiding the blond for most of the day, Sasuke finally decided to return to his room. "Naruto's probably been waiting for hours so he can rub it in my face as soon as I get in the door." The teenager grimaced as his pictured his roommate coming up with ways to remind him of his defeat. "Might as well get this over with." With one last a heavy sigh, Sasuke opened the door.

When at last, Sasuke finally spotted Naruto sitting at the desk. Still expecting a prank Sasuke approached his roommate with caution. As Sasuke got closer he discovered Naruto was sound asleep. The observant teen spotted the book and pen in Naruto's hand. "Was this idiot actually studying?" He asked.

Sasuke had never wanted to read something so bad before.

After his long talk with Sakura, the teen thought long and hard about what she'd said and came to the conclusion she was right about something. Naruto had changed. Before Kiba's death, Sasuke never saw his classmate without his bright smile. But nowadays, Sasuke hardly ever saw the teen smile.

Using all his stealth, Sasuke gently lifted Naruto's arm to retrieve the essay. Sasuke's heart rate increased when his suspect started to fidget. "If Naruto wakes up now then I'm screwed." All Sasuke could do was pray Naruto didn't wake up. "Not now, not when I'm so close. Just go back to drooling all over the desk," he urged.

It appeared someone heard Sasuke's desperate prayer and his heart rate slowed down when his roommate didn't stir. "Thank goodness for that," With his suspect sound asleep, Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed and started reading.

"How does anyone grade this moron's work?" Sasuke wondered. After struggling through the first few paragraphs, the teen slowly began to decipher the handwriting. As Sasuke read on, the teen discovered something he hadn't expected. "Well, it seems that you do have a brain after all."

Sasuke noticed a large pen mark top of the page. "What was Naruto trying to erase?" He wondered. Sasuke didn't get a chance to read any further when a hand snatched the book from his hands. Startled, Sasuke spun around and saw his roommate standing right behind him. "I didn't even hear him wake up."

Sasuke noticed Naruto's blond hair looked a little messier than usual. "Just what do you think you're doing Uchiha?" Naruto demanded. "Go write your own notes!" He yelled holding the notebook close to his chest protectively.

Sasuke couldn't help but snort at Naruto's accusation. "Don't flatter yourself, I wouldn't copy your pitiful excuse of homework."

"If you weren't copying my notes then what were doing with my homework in the first place?" Naruto argued.

"Shit, that was a good question," Sasuke noted.

"Fine don't answer me then." Naruto never once broke eye contact as he put his book back in table draw. "So, about this morning. I didn't hurt you or anything." He asked. "I just don't want your fangirls to come after me again that's all," he murmured.

Sasuke couldn't stop himself from snorting at Naruto's concern. "If that's the strongest throw you can manage, then I'm sure Kohana can expect the crime numbers to rise." The teen grinned when the blond's face turned crimson. "Fine be like that, I swear that's the last time I ever try to be nice to you," he promised.

"Fine be like that, I swear that's the last time I ever try to be nice to you," Naruto promised. "I even was going to offer to buy you dinner to make up for it."

"No thanks, If you want really wanted to make it up to me, you can get my phone back." Sasuke felt his mood deflate whenever he pictured his phone gathering dust inside Iruka's desk. "How am I supposed to explain this to Orochimaru why I couldn't call him for a week?" He fretted. "I'll bet Kabuto's already convinced him I'm not capable of doing this."

His thoughts were broken by Naruto's laughter. "Oh yeah, Iruka busted you big time. Next time try keeping your phone under your desk when your texting someone." Naruto suggested.

"The day I take advice from you will be the day they replace the headmaster with a hamster," Sasuke snapped. The teen froze both surprised at his outburst and that Naruto flinched.

"Why are you anxious about your phone, were you expecting a call from someone?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Hn, something like that," he answered.

"Come on, let's go get it back," Naruto suggested.

Sasuke wasn't sure why he'd agreed to follow Naruto in the first place but a few minutes later they were both walking together. As the walked passed the small crowds Sasuke noticed Naruto appeared to be taking him towards the main building. "Just where is this idiot going?" he wondered. "Oi, idiot, I think you're lost. The teacher's office is the other way," Sasuke pointed out.

Instead of changing direction, Naruto continued to walk away from the staff room."Wow, you really are new to this, aren't you?" Sasuke couldn't be sure if the teen was mocking his lack of experience. "Trust me I know Iruka-Sensei, he's not just going to give your phone back just because you asked," the teen smiled.

When Sasuke stopped to think about Naruto's words, the teen felt foolish for thinking he'd get his phone back to easily. "If that's not your plan, then why are we going? He asked feeling a little anxious. "Is he luring me somewhere?" The teen wondered.

Sasuke watched as Naruto pressed himself against the wall and peeked his head around the corner. "We're going back to the scene of the crime," he announced. "We'll need to keep a look out for Asuma-Sensei, he likes to hide around here and smoke one of his cigarettes around this time," the blond explained.

The raven snorted at his roommate's warning. "Everyone knows Asuma gave up smoking months ago, remember." Sasuke froze when a familiar smell his nostrils. When he went to investigate looked Sasuke could see his tall instructor leaning against the fire escape with a lit cigarette in his mouth. Sasuke put his pride to one side for Somehow Naruto seemed to know a lot about their teacher's habits. "How many times have you done this exactly?" Sasuke asked.

"Shh, we need to be careful from now on," Naruto whispered dodging the question. "Iruka-sensei is a workaholic he sometimes works in his classroom."

He'd never even gotten a detention let alone snuck out at night. But Sasuke found he wasn't the least bit scared More worryingly Sasuke found himself enjoying the risk.

When Naruto stopped outside Iruka's classroom It finally dawned on the teen what Naruto was planning to do. "Wait, you're not seriously planning on breaking into a teacher's office?"

Naruto shrugged off his accomplice concerns. "Will you just relax, besides I'm pretty sure this comes under probable cause."

Sasuke might have been impressed with Naruto's reasoning if it hadn't sounded so stupid. "That's not how probable cause it works you, idiot," he yelled. The Uchiha watched with fascination as Naruto took out a hairpin. He sat in silence while as the blond picked the lock with ease.

As much as it pained the Uchiha to admit it, Naruto had impressed him with his quick thinking. "Not bad seems like you can do something right after all," he teased.

Naruto shrugged off his roommate's gratitude. "Thank me later," Naruto said as he checked the cost was clear. "Ok, Iruka keeps all the confiscated phones inside his desk. It won't be locked so you go get your phone and I'll stand guard. If I hear anything I'll knock twice if someone is coming," Naruto promised.

Sasuke started to worry that Iruka had hidden his phone somewhere else until finally, he found his second phone. "Looks like Orochimaru got my message," he thought to himself.

Naruto's voice only added to Sasuke's anxiety, "Hey, Sasuke are you building the phone from scratch?" Naruto asked. "Come on, hurry up I think can hear footsteps," Naruto warned.

He didn't notice Naruto was looming over his shoulder. "Wow looks like someone's desperate to get hold of you," he said playfully. "Come on let's get out of here before Iruka catches us."

Less than a few meters away, two pairs of eyes had been watching them for the last few minutes. Iruka's original plans went out the window when he spotted Naruto and Sasuke sneaking about. The stern teacher's first instinct was to find out why the pair were roaming the campus this late at night. Just as Iruka went to call out to his student's Kakashi stopped him. "It just occurred to me that tonight is the perfect night for some surveillance work wouldn't you agree Iruka?" The man asked. At Kakashi's request, Iruka reluctantly agreed not to intervene. sat in silence as they witnessed their two students break into Iruka's classroom with ease. "Since when did we add lock picking to the national curriculum?" Iruka hissed.

Instead of confronting the pair, both instructors followed their students. Even as they kept a safe distance, Iruka could still hear Naruto and Sasuke quietly bicker at each other. The instructor swore he heard Kakashi laugh when Naruto used probable cause as an excuse. The laughter stopped when they witnessed their two students break into Iruka's classroom with ease. "Since when did we add lock picking to the national curriculum?" Iruka hissed.

Kakashi scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm, I'm not sure, maybe I missed that meeting." He joked.

Iruka didn't respond at first and continued to watch the pair as they walked together. "At least you've taught your students the importance of teamwork," he mumbled.

Kakashi "I didn't expect Sasuke to cooperate with Naruto. Perhaps they're getting on a lot better since they moved in." The teacher asked.

Iruka snorted at his comrade's question. "The only thing this proves is I need to get a better lock." The instructor said stormed off.

* * *

After their little adventure, the pair slowly made their way back to their dorm in silence. Among other things Sasuke had learned about Naruto, Sasuke wanted to know where his suspect had learnt how to break into classrooms. "That wasn't how I planned to spend my evening." he began. "Who taught you how to pick locks?" Sasuke inquired breaking the silence.

Naruto playfully wagged his finger in Sasuke's face. "If I told you that, I'd probably have to kill you." The blond had no idea how that seemingly harmless phrase sounded to Sasuke. Both the teenagers almost jumped out of their skins when he heard a loud growl.

Naruto's cheeks turned red. "Sorry, I haven't eaten anything since lunch," Naruto admitted. "I'm going to get some dinner, want to join me?" the blond offered.

Sasuke had a genuine reason for turning the blond down this time. "I'll pass, I have work to do and I need to make a few calls." He explained.

Naruto didn't look the least bit offended. "Suit yourself, see ya later," Naruto called running off.

Before Sasuke called his mentor, the Uchiha turned one last time and watched his roommate run towards the cafeteria. "How can you act so carefree after what you did?" He asked. "Kiba was your best friend, and yet you killed him without a second thought. I don't know why yet, but I'm going to make it my personal mission to find out why and put you behind bars for the rest of your life," he vowed.

In that last twenty-four hours, the adolescent had learnt more about his prime suspect than he had for the last few weeks. "Maybe this day wasn't a complete waste after all." Sasuke followed his prime suspect back where they'd started.

* * *

 **Thank you all again for your patience, sorry about the wait it's just been a bit hectic over Christmas and new year.**

 **Here's to a new year of Fanfiction.**

 **Apologies for the late update, I encountered a bad case of writers block. The conversation between Sasuke and Sakura was the hardest part to write. I kept writing Sasuke too emotional.**


	9. Cold calls

**Thank you so much for the favourites and reviews, your comments always brighten my day.**

 **I'd like to thank one particular guest review, thank for all your feedback. Because of that, I went back and corrected those silly mistakes. Thank you for helping me become a better writer.**

* * *

 **Cold Calls**

When his mentor pushed their phone call back until the next morning, Sasuke became worried. The anxious teenager spent most of the night tossing and turning in bed.

With his laptop loaded up, Sasuke swapped his ear buds with a pair of earphones to block out Naruto's snoring. With music in his ears, it wasn't long before the Uchiha became absorbed in his work. Once in awhile Sasuke's thoughts would return to Orochimaru and what the detective planned to do. "After what happened yesterday, it's going to take a miracle to keep me on the case," he could just imagine Kabuto trying to convince his superior to put an end to his undercover work.

Occasionally, Sasuke would sneak a look at his roommate. Like most nights, he'd find the orange-clad lying in some odd position, with a pool of drool on his pillow. Tonight, Sasuke wasn't interested in Naruto's sleeping habits. "I've never seen this guy wear anything that she didn't cover his arms." Even at night, his roommate wore a long-sleeved T-shirt to bed. His embarrassing attempt yesterday hadn't deterred Sasuke from uncovering Naruto's secret. to walk over to the bed and take a quick peek. "If I was caught, I'd have no explanation to give to him." He told himself, Sasuke drew his eye so away and returned to his work.

By the end of the night, Sasuke had completed his assignment. As soon as the first rays of sun on the horizon, Sasuke jumped out of bed. Before Sasuke walked out the door he took one last look at his roommate, still sound asleep.

Just as Sasuke predicted, the car park was completely empty, the teen walked towards his expensive car. With no one to overhear his conversation, Sasuke called Orochimaru. To the Uchiha's surprise, the detective answered on the first ring. All night Sasuke expected Orochimaru to lecture him on being professional, but to Sasuke's immense relief he did neither.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry for delaying our call I was busy yesterday." The detective explained. "And from what I hear you've had your fair share of drama." He teased.

Not wanting to relive his embarrassment, Sasuke left out the part about his phone being confiscated and instead told his superior about his talk with Sakura. As the raven expected, his mentor was every interested to hear what the girl had told him.

"I see, so our suspect wasn't in a relationship with the girl after all," Orochimaru said. "What else did she tell you?" He encouraged.

Throughout the rest of their conversation, Orochimaru listened only asking a few questions, yet Sasuke could still detect the disappointment in his mentor's voice. "This is only a minor setback, it doesn't mean we're back to square one," the teen pointed out. "All the evidence we've gathered points to Naruto. We just need to come up with a new motive." The teen said.

Orochimaru didn't seem as confident as his. "As much as I admire your optimism, you know very well I can't build a case without a motive," The detective reminded.

Along with trying to come up with an apology, Sasuke hadn't stopped thinking about the problem all night he feared Orochimaru may take him off the case. "I'm starting to earn my suspect's trust, it's taken longer than I planned," he added. "But if I can get closer to him, then I'll be able to come up with a stronger motive."

Just as Sasuke thought he'd finally been able to convince the homicide detective an all too familiar voice joined the conversation. "As much as I hate to rain on your parade, I think I should inform you that a sketchbook isn't exactly damning evidence," Kabuto pointed out. "You'll need to find more than that to present in court," he added.

Sasuke swallowed hard he could picture the smug look on the man's face. "This guy is really starting to get on my nerves." No matter how tempted he was to shout back, Sasuke couldn't afford to look stupid in front of Orochimaru. "Sit tight, I'm bound to find more evidence to connect him to both victims," Sasuke promised.

After enduring Kabuto's snide comments, Sasuke was relieved to hear Orochimaru's voice again. "Don't pay too much attention to Kabuto. It's not been easy keeping our investigation under wraps. Besides, we've collected a few pieces of evidence ourselves," the detective revealed

After hearing this news Sasuke desperately wanted to bombard the detective with questions but restrained himself at the last second. "What kind of evidence have you found?" He asked. Sasuke couldn't help but feel very naive for forgetting his mentor had years of experience. "I must have sounded like a complete idiot to them." He thought. "Instead of talking about what I found, I should have been asking them questions from the start." The Uchiha told himself.

As he waited for an answer the teenager could hear faint mumbling in the background. Although Sasuke couldn't make out what the pair were saying, the teen suspected Kabuto wasn't keen to share any information with him. Sure enough, Orochimaru's response confirmed what he suspected. "I'm sorry Sasuke that's not possible at the moment. It's not that we don't trust you, I can't risk any leaks. The only thing I want you to focus on is our suspect and report back to me." He instructed.

"I'll do that, that's if I don't end up smothering him in his sleep." The teen mumbled tiredly.

Sasuke was startled to hear the detective erupt into laughter. The pale detective's caught him off guard, but before Sasuke could ask the man what was so assuming, Orochimaru gave him a cryptic message. "Maybe you should try sleeping without the ear plugs." He hinted.

Sasuke wanted to the man ask more but realised he'd been gone a long time. The Uchiha worried Naruto might become suspicious if he wasn't in the room. "I better go before my suspect starts to wonder where I am." He put in. "I'll call you the next time I find something out," the teen promised.

"Oh and Sasuke, try not to lose your phone again."

* * *

When Naruto opened his eyes the blond slowly turned off his alarm. "Mmmm, morning." He mumbled. As the teen woke up a bit more Naruto noticed something was missing. The constant tapping and music were absent. "Wait, where is Sasuke?" He wondered, Naruto searched the room he noticed Sasuke's the bed was already made.

"What am I worried about?" Naruto asked himself. "Sasuke's probably gone to the library to study," the teen reasoned.

Putting his concerns to one side, Naruto pulled out his first aid kit from under his bed and went into the bathroom. With the door locked, Naruto took off his nightshirt and carefully removed the bandage. Naruto carefully studied the cut looking for any signs of infection. "Looks like it's healing ok. I better keep an eye on it just in case." The teen let out a hiss as the antiseptic made his cut sting.

With his injury cleaned, Naruto got dressed. As the teen stepped out the bathroom Naruto saw the duck butt hair style lying on the pillows. Naruto wondered how long his roommate had been there for. "Did he hear me when I was cleaning my wound." The teen wondered. "Hey, where did you get off to this morning?" The teen asked.

"You're finally awake then," Sasuke stated.

"How long have you been up for anyway, I woke up this morning and you'd already left."

"I got up at six o'clock," Sasuke replied.

The teen couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you crazy no one in their right mind gets up that early!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke got up and shoved a piece of paper in Naruto's hand. When Naruto unfolded the note he saw a phone number written on it. "Here's my phone number just in case you need to call if you lose your key or something like that."

"Here's my phone number just in case you need to call if you lose your key or something like that."

Naruto couldn't stop staring at the piece of paper. "Sasuke's actually giving me his phone number. Sakura-Chan and all those other fan girls would kill to get her hands on this." The teenager pulled himself out of his daydream when he realised. "Oh yeah, I should give you mine, I'll send you a text so you can save it." He offered.

His roommate dismissed his offer with a wave of his hand. "Do it later, I need to get going, see you in class," Sasuke paused before he walked out the door. "One thing, don't start sending videos or drunk texting me in the night." He warned.

After three failed attempts at sending a message, Naruto stared at the keypad for what felt like an eternity hoping something would come to mind, "Come on, it's just a text message," he told himself. When at last Naruto thought of something. "Do you want to sit together in class?" Before he could hesitate for another second Naruto pressed send.

No more than three seconds later the blond's phone vibrated. "That was fast." Naruto opened the message surprised by its contents. _"You better leave the university before your disease spreads."_

"Wait, what?" Naruto tried to see who'd sent the odd text only to see it came from a private number. The blond shrugged off the strange message. "Must have been a wrong number," He concluded. "Now that's out of the way, I can eat my ramen in peace." He told himself slurping up a fork full of noodles.

A couple of mouthfuls into his breakfast, Naruto started to fret again. "Should I have really sent that text?" He asked himself. "There's no way Sasuke would want to sit next to me, he'll probably think I'm weird." He hadn't even responded yet and Naruto could almost see the long winded text from Sasuke. When his phone pinged the second time, Naruto checked it was from Sasuke.

It took Naruto four minutes to mustered enough courage to opened the text. "Well might as well get this over with," he sighed pressing the button. The first thing that caught Naruto's attention the message was perfectly punctuated. The second part was what it said. _"Sure, we'll sit up front though Kurina's classroom is lighter at the front,_ _just don't turn up late."_

Unable to believe what he was reading, Naruto kept rereading the text message over and over in case he'd read it wrong. "He texts me back and said yes. That settles it I'm having a second bowl to celebrate," he cheered.

For the rest of the morning, Naruto wandered around campus in a daze. So far the orange-clad had walked into two of his teachers and three doors. Not even being yelled at or his bruised face could dampen the blond's mood. Naruto couldn't remember the last time he'd felt happy. "I can't believe that guy said yes, I was sure he'd tell me where to go." As this happy thought crossed his mind, something occurred the adolescent. "Come to think of it, Sasuke's been my partner in class a few times now." He recalled.

"That settles it, I'm going to do something nice for Sasuke," he told himself. "Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, it's not like Sasuke's spending time with me because he wants to."

Neither Naruto or Sasuke expected to see Sakura when they walked into the classroom.

Kurenai smiled warmly at her three students. "Good afternoon you two, thanks to my worry wort of a husband, the headmaster has instructed me to take it easy before I go on maternity leave." She didn't. "As much as I hate all the fuss, I do appreciate Sakura's offering to help me with today's lesson." She explained gently stroking her large bump.

Sakura took over. "Today I'm going to give you all a first aid lesson," she explained, Sakura raised her eyebrow when she laid eyes on Naruto's bruised cheek. "From the look on your face, you need it. Did you fall out of bed again?" She accused.

"No, I walked into a door actually," he mumbled. Naruto swore he heard Sasuke snort at his answer.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the clumsy teenager. "Typical, wait a second class hasn't even started yet, Sasuke-Kun I can understand, but I've never seen you in class so early before." The medic in training chimed in.

Ever since Naruto started feeling this way towards his rival, he couldn't break Sakura's heart like that. As time went on and his feelings grew so did the teen's guilt. "I can't tell Sakura any of this, what kind of friend would I be if I stole her love from her?" Thankfully Naruto avoided answering the question when Sakura dropped her notes on the floor.

Kurenai went to help but Sakura insisted her instructor rest. "It's fine Kurenai-Sensei I've got it," she said. "I knew I should have stapled these together."

Naruto put his bag on the floor. "Here let me," the blond offered. Sakura collect her notes and presentation. "Sakura-chan's probably nervous, I don't know why though, she's always been good at tutoring me." the teen couldn't help himself. He turned to face his childhood friend. "You'll do just fine Sakura-chan," he reassured. "If anyone can teach an idiot like me it's you." When Sakura's cheeks went red he knew his words had reached her.

Sakura worked overtime to cover up her blush. "Just sit down, I better not have to tell you to be quiet during class," she warned but Naruto knew when Sakura was being playful.

"Oi, is this seat ok?" Sasuke called.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically,"Yeah that's fine with me, do you think they'll want us to partner up?" Naruto asked, silently hoping his rival might consider being his partner again.

"So long as they don't expect me to give you CPR it's fine with me." Sasuke put in.

Now it was Naruto's turn to start blushing as he thought about touching Sasuke's lips again. "No he told himself, you'll never get the chance to kiss him again." He told himself. Naruto actually looked forward to the company even if the teen knew Sasuke wouldn't talk much and would probably yell at him if he did something wrong.

A few minutes later the last few stragglers finally turned up. "I don't know Choji, the last time Asuma treated you to barbeque you nearly bankrupted him," Shikamaru reminded him. Both boys stopped in their tracks when they saw Sasuke and Naruto sitting next to one another. Even Choji stopped eating when he saw the two rivals sitting next to each other.

Shikamaru said nothing and went to his seat.

The next slide showed a grotesque bleeding arm in a car accident. "Ok, can anyone tell me what would be the best treatment in this situation," Sakura asked.

Before anyone could answer Sakura's question, a student called out. "Wait a minute, that's a suspect!" The voice exclaimed. "Why should we waste our time helping a scumbag?" He demanded.

Sakura's expression darkened, in an instant, she rose from her seat to respond to the student's question. "The skills you're learning today could save someone's life. It could be anyone. If you refuse to administer medical attention you would be considered a murderer," She informed them. "No matter what crime they commit it's your duty to help you're not there to judge them," She finished.

Naruto felt his chest well up with pride as he watched his childhood friend stand her ground. "Sakura-Chan isn't pulling any punches, I think even Kurenai-Sensei is impressed." When Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, but when he caught a glimpse of the teen he noticed the boy was a bone shade white. "Hey, are you ok?" The teen asked.

"I'm fine, just pay attention." Sasuke snapped.

Just when Naruto thought the lesson couldn't get any weirder, someone at the back of the class raised their hand. "Mrs, Saratobi, isn't it true that there are certain diseases that, can be transmitted by blood?" He asked.

While their heavily pregnant woman looked puzzled by the question, Sakura didn't look the least bit flustered by the students' question. "Yes, that's why it's important to protect yourselves when you give first aid to someone," she advised.

"So we should be careful of contracting aids?" He added.

Once again an eerie silence fell in the class. Something about the question bothered Naruto.

Naruto recognised the look on his friend's face. "Oh shit, Sakura's going to blow this time," he thought.

Sure enough, Sakura let loose her sharp tongue. "Listen up all of you!" She yelled. "Aids can be transmitted through; blood and semen." She listed. "Wearing gloves and covering any cut you may have will reduce the risk and unless you decide to have sex with a suspect you'll be fine." After Sakura's "Now if you haven't got any more questions stupid questions so we can continue the lesson."

* * *

The rest of the lesson went by without a hitch, and just like Naruto said, Sakura taught the class well, she even praised the on how well Naruto performed. But Naruto couldn't enjoy the praise.

Ever since he was small, Naruto could always tell when something was bothering his family and friends. It could be the slightest difference in the walk they walked or talked that would tip Naruto off. Kiba called it his sixth sense. "Hey, are sure you ok?" Naruto didn't buy what Sasuke said. "You looked a little pale in there." Naruto pointed wasn't the only one being odd. As his day progressed, Naruto began to notice something strange. It seemed as if people were making a conscious effort to avoid him.

During class, Sasuke had fumbled around with the bandages and didn't seem to know how to put an arm in a sling. "Something must have upset Sasuke," he reasoned. After being snapped at once, Naruto approached Sasuke with caution."Hey, are sure you ok?" He asked. "You looked a little pale in there." Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke shot him another cold glare. "I'm fine just get to class without me, I need to go to do something first."

Without saying another word, Sasuke all but ran down the corridor. Instead of walking away, Naruto watched his rival until he disappeared into the crowd. "Well that was weird, I've never seen Sasuke act like that." During lunch, Naruto couldn't think of anything else. The blond began to notice that Sasuke wasn't the only one behaving strangely.

As his day progressed, Naruto became more and more aware that people were staring at him. Whenever he walked passéd a group of people they'd start whispering. "Just what's gotten into everyone's today?" He thought. It seemed as if people were making a conscious effort to avoid him.

A few minutes later Naruto received another strange text message.

 _"You can save a lot of people if you leave now, no one wants to catch what you've got. Last warning"_

"What's with these messages?" He asked himself. Fed up the teen turned off his phone walked towards the gym. After a strange day, Naruto looked forward to his class with Guy. The door slammed in his face knocking him to the ground. "Oh come on you've got to be kidding me." He rubbed his sore face.

Shikamaru helped the teen to his feet. "So, what's going on with you and Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked.

For once Naruto didn't want the boy to leave his side. "Nothing, I have no idea why everyone's ignoring me." He said truthfully.

Everyone was gathered around one of the lockers. Both teenagers watched as Choji emerged from the crowd. "Na..Naruto, erm why don't we go somewhere else" He suggested.

Before Naruto could ask his friend Shikamaru jumped in. "What's going on Choji?" The dark-haired boy asked.

Naruto couldn't stop staring at what they'd done to his locker. Suddenly the texts made sense to the shocked blond. "Who would do this?" Before the teen could think about it he grabbed Shikamaru by his collar and threw his friend up against the wall. "Who did you tell!" Naruto barked. "What is this some petty revenge?" He demanded.

Shikamaru didn't move. "Naruto, calm down and listen to me, I don't know what's going on right now but if you..."

Naruto didn't wait to listen to the rest of Shikamaru's words and pushed passed the crowd he felt his stomach dropped.

With all the commotion more people began to gather around the locker. the teen began pushing his way through the growing crowd Naruto made a frantic dash for the exit.

* * *

On started splashing his face with cold water. "It wasn't her," Sasuke told his brain. Just when Sasuke thought he'd avoided another panic attack, the teen was hit with another wave of flashback. Unable to avoid it any longer the Uchiha ran into an empty stall and threw up. Once he finished emptying his stomach Sasuke drew his knees up to his chest and started counting.

Sasuke always found himself hiding in the bathroom cupboard. "Stop it," he told himself. "Uchiha's don't get scared." Sasuke had lost count of a number of times his father had told him that, and yet Sasuke's heart was beating so fast he swore he could hear it. The shivering twelve-year-old couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed. "He shot father." Like most children his age, Sasuke believed no one could hurt his father. "No he can't be dead, father's properly gone to get his gun right now." Hope swirled in Sasuke's chest as he pictured the strong man coming to the rescue.

This brief moment of hope was quashed when he heard a second shot rang through the house. Sasuke sat still and listened, he could hear something dragging across the carpet. Through a small crack in the bathroom door, Sasuke could see something lying on the bathroom floor. As the boy moved to get a closer look Sasuke saw the person on the floor was his mother.

From his hiding place, Sasuke willed his remaining parent to stand up. "Mother, no get up," he begged. Sasuke watched the life drain from his mother. When Sasuke was younger he often begged his father to tell him about his cases. One night when they were alone he'd asked his father if he'd ever seen a dead body. His father's response surprised him.

"You forget their names but you never forget the smell of blood," Being only seven at the time Sasuke thought his father was making it up, but he could clearly smell his mother's blood. The smell was so overpowering he thought he was going to be sick.

It was the sound of him retching that caught Mitoko's attention. The woman weakly turned her head to face her youngest son. "Sasuke...don't come out." She rasped.

"All I need to do is stop the bleeding and she'll live." He thought. Just as Sasuke was about to run to his mother a tall figure appeared. All Sasuke could see was the intruder was covered in black. His skin went cold when he saw the specks of blood on the boots. "Where is father, why isn't he coming to save us?" He asked to himself. He watched as the pair of legs walked towards his defenceless mother.

Sasuke watched helplessly as the pair of legs walked towards his defenceless mother.

His mother weakly clawed at her killer's legs. "Please...don't...hurt...maybe...baby." She begged.

This part always changed, sometimes Sasuke saw her shot in the head, other times in the chest. But he never forgot how loud the gun shot was.

"No, she can't be dead, she just can't" His whimper caught the intruders attention. Sasuke couldn't move a muscle as the black shoes got closer. "No, I don't want to die, not like this." He scrambled to get as far back into the cupboard as possible.

"1...2...3..4..5" he counted. The teen worked on controlling his breathing until at last the flashbacks subsided, "I thought this would stop by know." Sasuke thought to himself.

The first aid lesson had caught Sasuke off guard. Sasuke couldn't recall what happened aware of the rest of the class, nor did he care. all he could do not to be sick. It was humiliating having to rely on Naruto to do most of the lesson. "Of course they were going to show blood in a first aid class." He told himself.

Sasuke still felt a little woozy from earlier. "Maybe I should skip the rest of the day." As the teen debated whether or not he should ditch class something solid knocked the raven to the ground. The raven looked up and saw it was Naruto that had crashed into him."Oi, dobe watch where you're going." He grumbled rubbing the back of his head.

Naruto didn't stop to apologise and ran out of the gym.

"What's his problem?" Sasuke wondered. When Sasuke stepped into the gym he noticed a large crowd of people gathered around something. The raven pushed through the crowd until he finally found what everyone was looking at. "What the..." Try as he might, Sasuke couldn't take his eyes away from the red writing.

The grey metal now had the words FAG sprayed across Naruto's locker in red. Sasuke was still staring at the writing when Guy appeared at his side. Sakura's words from yesterday made perfect sense to the teen now. "I'm not Naruto's type" She'd said, at the time Sasuke assumed she'd meant Naruto preferred a girl with a larger chest or something like that. "So that's what Sakura meant," he realised.

A loud Guy pushed through the crowd of students. "Hey what are all my youthful students doing standing around when they should be running around?" Guy's expression quickly changed when he saw the graffiti and frowned. "Who's locker is this?" He asked his voice supply stern.

"It's Naruto's" Shikamaru answered.

Guy gave a short nod. "Class dismissed," he said pulling out his phone and walked away.

Normally Sasuke hated it when his studies were interrupted, but today the Raven was grateful for the class was cancelled. After scanning the room quickly Sasuke determined Naruto hadn't come back to the room. With the cost clear the teen pulled out his phone and started dialling frantically. "I think I might have just found your motive." He said in rush.

To Sasuke's heart sank when he heard Kabuto's voice. "Where's Orochimaru?" He demanded. Kabuto answered the phone. Before the former medic could say anything else Sasuke blurted out what he'd found out. "I think our suspect is gay," he said a little louder than he meant too.

Kabuto answered the phone. Before the former medic could another word Sasuke blurted out what he'd found out. "Our suspect is gay," he said a little louder than he meant too.

When Kabuto didn't say anything Sasuke knew he'd caught the man's attention, the teenager heard what sounded like a door being closed. "Being gay doesn't make Naruto a murder, I hope you're not trying for any personal prejudice," Kabuto warned.

The detective's words had hit a sore spot and he knew it. "That's not it, all of the victims were male for a start." Sasuke knew that he thought about even he had to admit that it was a weak connection.

Kabuto seemed more than willing to rub that fact in his face. "Is that all you've got?" Kabuto scoffed lowering his voice. "That hardly proves anything, and before you ask there were no signs of sexual activity before or after death."

Maybe if this had been a different day Sasuke would have ignored Kabuto's comment, but after and the first aid lesson earlier that morning Sasuke finally lost his temper with the former pathologist. "Listen! Every witness I've spoken to has said that Kiba and Naruto were close. What if Naruto wanted more and both Kiba and Sai rejected him?" Sasuke offered.

After his outburst, Kabuto didn't say anything for a long time Sasuke began to wonder if the man had hung up during his outburst. "It's possible, but as far as we know Kiba wasn't gay," he pointed out.

Sasuke was glad the man couldn't see his smirk, Now it was his turn to play mind games with the detective. "He doesn't have to be," Sasuke mentioned. "Kiba and Naruto I might try talking to some of his other friends to see what their relationship was like before his death."

Kabuto's voice became hard. "Don't do anything reckless," he warned. "Always remember that you're not invincible if you start asking Naruto's friend's too many questions you'll not only risk blowing your cover, but any chance of convicting Naruto will go out the window." This was the first time the pair had a conversation and didn't argue.

With all his lessons and assignments completed, Sasuke lay back down on his bed. Sasuke thought about what Kabuto said. "As much as I hate to admit it, Kabuto is right." He realised. "I got lucky with Sakura, I hardly know the rest of Naruto's friends. I can try and talk to Choji, but I'll need to get him away from that other guy first." As the raven planned his next move, it seemed like exhaustion finally caught up with the stoic teen. eyes became heavier the longer he lay on the bed. Sasuke gave in and fell asleep.

"I can't believe I slept most of the day."

The raven noticed Naruto sitting on the edge of his bed. "What's the matter with you dobe?" Sasuke asked.

It wasn't until Naruto moved closer that Sasuke noticed that the menacing look in roommate's usually eyes. "It looks as though you've been snooping through my things." Sasuke spotted the sketchbook in Naruto's hand. "You've also been spying on me as well," the blond added holding up the hidden cameras.

Sasuke's heart started pounding away in his chest. "Daman it, how did he find those?" Sasuke tried to explain but the words got stuck in his throat.

His murder suspect looked surprisingly calm. "Oh well, no harm was done. Besides, you won't live long enough to tell anyone what you found," the blond vowed.

Sasuke's instincts screamed at the teen to run as fast as he could. "I could take this guy if I run now." The raven's muscles refused to listen to his commands. "What's going on I can't move?" Naruto easily pinned his arms. With his self-defence, Sasuke should have easily overpowered his opponent.

His killer looked disappointed. "I thought an Uchiha would be harder to kill. Oh well, good night Sasuke." Naruto pressed the pillow over Sasuke's face. The air seemed to evaporate in his chest. No matter how hard Sasuke tried, the teen couldn't breathe.

Sasuke lurched forward in bed and started pulling as much oxygen into his lungs as possible. Someone started rubbing his back in slow circles. The teen looked and saw it had been Naruto that had rushed to his side. Still reeling from the nightmare Sasuke shoved Naruto away from him. "Don't ever touch me again!" The Uchiha yelled.

Naruto picked himself off the floor and walked into the bathroom. A few seconds later, Naruto emerged from the bathroom with his toothbrush and a few other possessions. Naruto Grabbed his rucksack and started shoving clothes and books into the bag.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked recovering a little.

Naruto didn't stop what he doing when he answered the question. "Don't worry, I won't be coming back," he promised. "I'll talk to Saratobi-Samma in the morning, I'll pick up the rest of my stuff later." His roommate marched out the door and slammed it shut.

Once Sasuke calmed down a bit he tried to understand why his roommate was so upset. "What was that all about?" Sasuke couldn't make sense of Naruto's behaviour. It took another finally dawned on Sasuke why his roommate had decided to move out. "Oh shit."

* * *

Naruto stormed out of the building and into the court. It wasn't until the teen got reached the main building the teen stopped walking. for a few minutes before he realised just how alone he was. Usually, when he was upset Kiba was the first person he'd go to for advice, but the one person he really needed wasn't there to comfort him or let him vent.

Naruto sat on the bench and planned his next move. "Where do I go now, there's not the way I can go back to my room, not when Sasuke doesn't want me there." He thought sadly. "And I accused Shikamaru, there's no way he'll talk to me after that."

There was one place he could go that no one would find him.

Naruto loved the smell of leather but more than anything else the teen loved the sound of his fists hitting the punching bag. In some ways, the gym was a lot better than talking to the friend. Here no one could judge him or see his ruined body. "What did I expect? Of course, they were going to find out, of course, Sasuke would be disgusted." He thought.

"You're not going to punch anything unless you work on your balance." A cool voice instructed.

Naruto all but jumped out of his skin when he saw Kakashi standing behind him. "K..akashi-Sensei I...was...just." The teen rushed for his jumper to cover up his scars. "Sensei, I was just getting in a few extra hours practise that's all," he mumbled trying to come up with the best excuse he could muster.

Kakashi held up his hand and threw something at the teen. "Here use this whenever you need to let off some steam." He offered.

Naruto just caught the key before it hit the ground. "What's this for?" The teen enquired.

"That is a key, you use it to open doors," Kakashi answered.

The blond shook his head. "I know what it is, what I mean is, are you sure it's ok for you to give me this?" Naruto asked.

The tension must have transferred somehow. "Relax, I'm not going to spill the beans, just don't start using the place for parties." Kakashi joked. "Now then about that punch of yours."

For the next hour Kakashi taught his student how to punch, the blond didn't expect his instructor to push him so hard. By the time they'd finished Naruto muscles were on fire. "Geez Kakashi-Sensei, I'm glad you're not my gym instructor." The teen dragged his aching body to a bench.

Kakashi laughed at his student's remark and offered the teen a drink. "I know the only way you'll listen to me is when you're exhausted." He said. His teacher glanced at his bags and looked up. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked.

His Sensei was right about one thing, he couldn't muster enough energy to walk away from the conversation. Unable to leave Naruto stayed silent instead.

"Naruto, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." The instructor pointed out.

"It's nothing, just a few stupid texts." The blond mumbled.

Took the phone from him and looked at the evidence from himself. Kakashi said nothing as he looked at the messages. "How long has this been going on for?" He asked his voice mixed with sympathy and anger.

Maybe it was because Sasuke's rejection or the fact he felt completely alone, but Naruto felt like he could trust his teacher. Whatever the reason the teenager opened up. "It started this morning, I kept getting these weird texts on my phone," Naruto admitted. "I didn't know what the messages meant at first. I thought it was someone pulling a prank, but then everyone started ignoring me and the graffiti this afternoon only confirmed what I already knew."

His teacher looked at the texts for himself, he said nothing for the longest time before looking up at the blond. "Naruto, what these people are doing isn't right," the instructor's eyes were full of sympathy. "You don't have to live in fear like this. How long has this been going on?" He told the blond.

Naruto hadn't heard his usually aloof teacher talk like this for a long time. "I don't know who's sending the messages or how they found out. I've been so careful since I enrolled here." Naruto truthfully didn't know who was behind the cruel texts.

"Yes, I've noticed that," Kakashi said.

Naruto looked up sharply at his teacher. "You knew I was..."

Before Naruto could say another word the instructor placed his hand on the teenager's shoulder. "It doesn't matter to me, and if it wasn't for this eye I'd be honoured to work with you. I think you'd be the first ramen obsessed cop in history." He smiled.

Kakashi's face went from sympathetic to stern in seconds. "I'm not talking about your sexuality. You seem to forget I've known you since you were a baby and I also grade your homework." He pointed out.

There was no doubt in Naruto's mind, Kakashi knew the truth. "What difference would it make if everyone knows I'm a little smart?!" He exclaimed. "If everyone found out who my father was they wouldn't treat me the same," the teen pointed out. "Besides, I'm nothing like my dad." Naruto thought he'd said the last part quietly enough Kakashi didn't hear.

Kakashi didn't even flinch at the blond's response. "Nether Shikamaru, Choji and Sakura have never treated you any differently." Kakashi put in. "It's true You may lack your father's tact. When I saw you beat Sasuke it felt like I was watching your father."

Naruto's eyes began to burn with tears at his teacher's kind words. As much Naruto loved Jiraiya, he didn't ask about his parents in fear of upsetting his guardian. Now the teen felt like he could talk about his father. "I'll bet Kakashi-Sensei has lots of stories about my parents." Just as Naruto was about to ask more about his mother and father his thoughts once again returned Kiba. "Not even Kakashi-Sensei would ever forgive me if he found out the truth." to his best friends and how they would feel if he told them the truth about Kiba.

"What are you going to do about today?" He asked quietly.

"I know you don't want me to, I'm going to talk to the headmaster about this and we'll go from there. I'll be as discrete as I can" He reassured. "Unless there's something else bothering you?" Kakashi asked.

"No, there's nothing else." He lied.

If he'd had this conversation with Iruka, the instructor would have kept pressing until he got some answers from the teenager. But Naruto knew Kakashi wasn't the type to pry and wouldn't push the matter any further. "You know, all this exercise is making me hungry, I think I might just order myself a bowl of ramen. Do you want to join me?" The instructor offered.

Naruto's face lit up at his teacher's kind offer. "You didn't need to ask me twice sensei," the teen paused and gave his cheapskate teacher a hard stare. "You're paying right?" He asked.

* * *

Instead of relaxing or studying like most of his peers, Sasuke spent most of his evening searching for Naruto. last two hours trying to get hold of Naruto without success. "Naruto it's Sasuke, call me when you get this message," he repeated. "Just where did that moron go now?" Sasuke asked himself. "It's not like he has any friends left to turn to for help." As far as Sasuke knew Naruto had nowhere to go. Sasuke put his reaction down to lack of sleep and stress.

In Naruto's absence, Sasuke had come up with a plan. But first, he needed to find the blond. As it grew darker, Sasuke decided to return to his room and prayed Naruto would return.

The raven's head shot up when he heard the door being unlocked. As soon as Naruto stepped inside the room Sasuke couldn't control himself. "Where have you been, what's the point of having a phone if you're not going to answer I've been trying to call you for hours," Sasuke barked.

Instead of shouting back with a pitiful excuse, Naruto didn't move away from the doorway. Naruto looked just as surprised by his outburst. "Wait you...were looking for me?" The blond's voice seemed to shake a little.

Something about Naruto's voice. "Was he really scared to come back here?" For now, Sasuke shook off this thought. "Hn, you just stormed off without saying a word, what was I supposed to do?" Now that the blond looked less nervous Sasuke put his plan into motion. "So is it true what everyone's been saying? Sasuke asked.

The blond shivered at the question. When his classmate didn't answer, Sasuke started to think he should abandon his plan. "Yes, I'm gay," he said at last. Before Sasuke got the chance to say anything else Naruto went on to say, "I'll understand if you don't want to share a room with me anymore. I'll see if I can stay somewhere else." The teenager offered to put his bags on the floor.

Sasuke almost laughed at Naruto's offer. "Don't be stupid, as if you could afford to live anywhere else," the words barely let his mouth before Sasuke realised how arrogant that sounded. "Why the hell did I have to say that?" Sasuke could see his words weren't having much effect on his roommate. "Look, I don't care, you could love unicorns and you'd still be an usuratonkachi to me," he reassured. Instead of coming back with a sharp retort Naruto smiled at him which unnerved Sasuke a little.

"Are you sure you're ok with it?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke was being to grow tired of the conversation. "Enough already, like I said before I don't care, besides I'm hardly going to throw you out when we're both the same." he pointed out.

"Look you don't have to feel sorry for me I..." Naruto stopped getting into bed and stared at Sasuke. "What...did...you...say?" He asked.

Sasuke turned over in bed to see Naruto's shocked expression was priceless. "What? did you think you're not the only one with secrets?"

* * *

 **Thank you all so much for reading, sorry this chapter was so long. Looking over this chapter I think I may have overdone it with Naruto's POV this chapter.**

 **Don't worry that's going to change in the next chapter I have a something big planned.**


	10. This Is Not A Dream

**Hey everyone, thank you all so much for adding this story to your favourites.**

 **Warning this chapter does contain attempted Rape.**

* * *

 **This Is Not A Dream**

Once in awhile, Kabuto checked what time it is was. It was almost seven o'clock for most people that insufficient detail. Kabuto felt the same until just recently, any detective would stress the importance of teamwork. Any second now, Orochimaru would walk into their shared office and depending on what mood his partner was in it would define the mood for entire the day. Whenever his senior set his eyes on a case, nothing else mattered. Years of experience taught Kabuto to stay vigilant, nowadays the former medic knew how to look for the subtle signs.

Things were different this time, even a complete stranger would be able to detect something was wrong with his mentor. With every day that passed, Orochimaru's long black hair became increasingly matted and greasy, pale skin looked unwashed. There was no doubt that this investigation was taking its toll on the man.

Kabuto arrived at work an hour early that morning. Both their desks were littered with paperwork, Kabuto passed the time by organising the paperwork on both their desks. As he sifted through the Kabuto went through what he wanted to say to the man.

When Orochimaru arrived carrying a coffee cup the man didn't seem to notice his subordinate was in before him. "Did anything else happen last night? He asked casually.

One of the many challenges the pair faced was keeping their investigation secret. It would only take one word and everything would come crashing down on top of them. From the first day the detectives invented their own code for these situations. "No, it was surprisingly quite all things considered," Kabuto answered. Just as the man was about to raise his concerns. The former medic went silent He knew better than to speak when the detective was checking his laptop.

Shortly after Sasuke installed the surveillance equipment, it became routine for Orochimaru check on the Uchiha's progress when he came into work.

Even though his work kept Orochimaru busy most of the day, but no matter the pale man always found time to monitor his young protege whenever he could. From day one Sasuke had exceeded his expectations. Whenever Orochimaru contacted Sasuke, the teenager always had something new to tell him. Just when Orochimaru thought the Uchiha couldn't surprise him anymore, the teen yet again left him speechless. After last night's confession, the homicide detective was even more impressed. "That boy never ceases to amaze me." He said in a hushed voice. "After last night there's no way out murderer won't trust Sasuke now." He added.

There probably wouldn't be another opportunity for them to have this conversation. Even though his partner seemed in a good mood, Kabuto still approached the subject with caution. "Try not to get too excited Orochimaru-Sama," Kabuto warned. "This new line of inquiry might not be the big break through you think it is." It was never a good idea to doubt Orochimaru's instincts, Kabuto had learnt that from bitter experience.

Orochimaru looked up from his paperwork. "Why else would anyone keep their sexuality hidden fin this dan and age, unless you had something he to hide?" Kabuto had seen the look his partner was giving many times in the past. "Unless of course you already have your own theory." He accused.

Both men exchanged looks with one another before Kabuto felt it was safe to continue. "There may be a reason our suspect kept his sexuality a secret." After years of putting criminals behind bars, Kabuto could read his partner like a book. When the former medic looked into those yellow eyes he could see a flicker of surprise. "You'd be surprised what you secrets you can unearth when you dig deep enough, last night I did a little research of my own and it turns out Saratobi-Sama's university is hiding a very dirty secret." He revealed.

Orochimaru's mouth twisted into a grimace, he'd never been able to stay patient for long and didn't appreciate being teased. "Just spit it out Kabuto," he snapped.

"After my chat with Sasuke, I started to wonder why a boy in this day and age would hide his sexuality. So I decided to do a little digging of my own." Kabuto opened his desk and pulled out a handful files. "Over the last decade, there's been a lot of attacks on pupils who were openly gay. Once their secret was out, many students leave after the first few month." Kabuto explained. "I got in touch with an old friend of mine and he confirmed what I suspected, Konoha has a notorious reputation for homophobic behaviour."

Orochimaru slowly read each of the files. The first thing that caught his attention was minor assault charges, the second was all of the victims refused to press charges. Once the man had finished reading the files, Orochimaru sat in deep thought while he tried to remember if he'd seen anything similar.

Just like Sasuke and his murder suspect, he too had studied at the same University, but his time at had been very different from most of his peers.

A mind needed books to stay sharp like a gun needed to be cleaned. While most of the students spent their weekends in bars night to go into two and come back steaming drunk at the crack of dawn. Orochimaru would spend most of his hours locked away in the library where his classmate's antics couldn't disturb his studies. It wasn't until joining the police force did the pale man regret this isolation. It pained the man to admit his mistake but he spent the better part making up for it. Studying people came with its own rewards. Even after all this time, Orochimaru still struggled to understand teenagers. "My time at the was very different, but I don't have to tell you that, Are you worried that our prime suspect could flee?" He inquired.

"How can you be so sure he won't?" Kabuto asked.

Orochimaru smiled at his younger comrade. "Trust me, I know people like him and he won't quit, besides Sasuke's little revelation might have just saved the day."

That was the other thing bothering Kabuto. "Do you think Sasuke is lying to earn Naruto's trust?" When Orochimaru started laughing.

"I don't think your Sasuke's type Kabuto." The pale man joked.

The former medic shook off the jibe. "I'm serious, what if the Uchiha is lying and our suspect finds out then what?" He almost breathed a sigh of when his mentor became serious.

To Kabuto's surprise and relief, Orochimaru's gaze softened. "You're still young, no one would admit to that unless they were telling the truth," With a single blink Orochimaru's eyes became hard again. "I'm more worried for our young assistant, if Sasuke's theory is correct then we need to keep a close eye on him." He'd always known the Uchiha would be special and he'd never find another protege like Sasuke again.

Now it was Kabuto's turn to have some fun. "It's going to be a shame when this case ends, I hear that Sasuke has his sights set on joining his families special unit." He said this with a hint of joy.

Working with Kabuto all the time, it was easy for Orochimaru to forget how slippery his partner could be at times. Without a doubt one of his partner's greatest strength was his ability to blend into any situation, it was one of the many qualities that made Kabuto an indispensable tool. "You'll have to introduce me to your contacts one day," he chuckled. "As for Sasuke you know I can be very persuasive when I need to be." The sound of his beeper went off. "Well duty calls, I can handle this one, keep an eye on things won't you?" He knew he didn't need to explain what he meant.

As soon as the office door shut, Kabuto didn't go back to his work. The former medic took out his personal laptop and loaded it up. Although Kabuto would never admit it to anyone least of all his mentor, he too found Sasuke fascinating to watch. Naruto still hadn't woken up yet and Kabuto wasn't expecting the to get up until late that morning. "You really are blind aren't you Sasuke-Kun." After spending hours watching his suspect go about his day Kabuto had noticed something neither his partner. The former medic had noticed the looks Naruto gave Sasuke. Kabuto would laugh at the raven's inability to notice what was staring him right in the face. "Things are about to get very interesting." He purred.

* * *

For Naruto, the coughing and chills meant only one thing. "Mmmm, my throats hurts," he whimpered pulling the covers closer to his skin. Being sick did come with some perks. Naruto knew his mother would start fussing over him when she came to wake him. "maybe mum might let me have ramen for breakfast." The poorly boy reached across searching for his stuffed fox. "Wait, where's Kumara?" Alarmed Naruto sat up. Not only was his stuffed toy missing but he wasn't in his room. in the hospital the first thing he noticed wasn't in his orange bedroom, the covers were thin and he'd never had white curtains around his bed.

"Why am I at The hospital?" he was alone and scared. The last thing the seven-year-old could remember sitting in his father's car drowsy from his day at school. The wheels screeching and turning sharply of his mother screaming What happened I hope daddy isn't made at me."

The child's need to find his parents override his fear. With carefully took the drip with him. Naruto small arms struggled to reach the door handle. Naruto only opened the door a little. The first thing the blond saw two adults standing outside the door, he recognised the man's uniform. "That man must know my daddy," he realised. Fearful of the strangers the small boy nearly closed the door there and then but something the nurse said caught the child's attention.

"So both his parents are..." The policemen nodded she put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, that poor child. Even after doing this job for years you never get used to how cruel life can be." She dried her eyes.

"Maybe they know which ward my mum and dad are on." Naruto moved closer so he could hear the pair better. From the moment the blond learnt to walk he quickly mastered the art of stealth. By the time he was three Naruto could crawl into his parent's bed without disturbing either of them. When morning came, his father pulled his son into his arms and woke his wife. "Kushina, I think our son will be a ninja when he's older." From then on Minato called his son his little ninja.

Kushina tried various ways to deter her son from eavesdropping without success. but Naruto was sure his mother wouldn't mind this time.

"Has any body told him yet?" The nurse asked the man at the door.

The policemen shook his head. "We've contacted his God Father, he's is on his way here." He answered the man turned his head and saw him standing at the door,

A kind nurse knelt down to the young boy. "It's ok sweetie someone's here and they're going to talk to you." Naruto knew the two adults were hiding something from him. "Are my mum and dad hurt?" He asked. The nurse flinched at the question, "why don't we get you back in your room and we can do some colouring together," she suggested. Naruto quickly rejected her offer. "No, I don't your stupid crayons, I want to see my mummy and daddy!" His yelling attracted the other patient's attention.

"Naruto, please calm down, it's going to be ok." She promised. The young boy became more distressed when they ignored his questions. "But where's my mummy, I want my mummy." It had been a while since he'd called his mother that.

The room water below him. "No, I don't want to."

The two adults had disappeared and their place stood his best friend. Naruto's eyes widened with surprise. "Kiba? What are you doing here?" He asked.

Kiba shook his head, "You did...this...you let us die."

Before Naruto could understand Kiba's accusation, he was shoved hard from the behind. The young blond let out a scream as the ground moved towards him. When he finally hit the water the boy struggled to stay afloat. "Kiba...couch...help." His calls for help only earned him a mouthful of water.

Naruto turned around to see his mother standing behind him, only she wasn't the beautiful woman with red hair, instead her body was made out of water. "Naruto why...why did you leave us?" His mother asked. "You could have saved us." She told him.

His mother's words cut through his like ice. "No...I didn't...mean to...I tried to go back for you." He explained.

None of Naruto's words seemed to reach his mother parents water hands pulled the boy under the surface. "No...Kiba...help...I can't." The last thing Naruto saw before he was pulled under the water was Kiba's cold eyes.

Naruto sat up right in bed painting heavily. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw he was in his own room. "It was just a dream thank god," he told himself. Pain shot through Naruto's shoulders when he stretched out. "Damn Kakashi sure knows how to do a workout. I thought Guy-Sensei was bad." He winced.

"Oi, if you're dying in there would you do it quitly." A voice called from the bathroom.

If it wasn't for the fact his shoulders felt like they were going to fall off, Naruto would have strolled into the bathroom and tested out his new punch on the raven. "Sorry if my pain is disturbing you, next time I'll remember to be more considerate," he promised.

"I appreciate it!" Sasuke yelled back.

Naruto spent most of the night debating whether or not he should go to class today. "I wonder what Kakashi-Sensei is going to do, what ever it is I just hope he doesn't make things worse." After what happened yesterday the blond didn't know how far his tormentors were prepared to go.

* * *

The pair went to class without saying a word to one another.

Both of them were thinking about the same thing. "He's not said much since last night," Sasuke noted. After coming out to the blond last night, Sasuke wasn't completely sure how Naruto was going to react. "Maybe it's going to take some time for him to get used to the idea." He thought.

Usually, Sasuke wouldn't let his classmate's restless habits distract him, but after Orochimaru's cryptic message the raven decided to take his mentor's advice and listen. Just in case he needed to make a quick escape, Sasuke listened from bathroom. At First nothing seemed out of the ordinary until his roommate began to toss and turn in his sleep.

To start with the mumbling was difficult to make out, but a little while later Naruto called out loudly. "Where's my mum?" He called. As the dream progressed the blond became increasingly distressed.

Sasuke felt uncomfortable listening to his rival Naruto call out for his mother, just as Sasuke moved went to close the bathroom door Naruto's next ramble had him coming back in a heartbeat. "Kiba...Kiba...no...I'm sorry...please I can't."

There was no mistaking the dark circles underneath Naruto's eyes were a good indication of his exhaustion. Sasuke was no stranger to a sleepless night himself. "It looked like he was trying to get away from something. Maybe he's running away from his guilt." He concluded.

While Sasuke pondered over this the raven got his second surprise that morning. Less than two minutes after the pair sat in their seats, Kakashi Hatake turned up on time for registration. Not only was the on time but he also seemed in a good mood. "Good morning students, we have a special guest today." He announced. The mood shifted when Hiurzen-Saratobi stepped into the classroom. Most of the other students started whispering to one another.

Only when their voices died down did the man speak. "Although it's been challenging at times, I don't regret becoming a teacher. When I agreed I never imagine just how rewarding Teaching the next generation could be." He turned to Kakashi and smiled. "This year we have a lot of talented. Not a day goes by when I don't hear good thing from your teachers You are all exceptional students."

While everyone was relaxed, Sasuke wasn't taken in by the man's friendly attitude. He'd already knew the true purpose of the man's visit. "Intresting, looks like the headmaster knows about what happened yesterday I didn't expect them to act so soon." was more than a little curious to know how the headmaster would approach the subject.

Sasuke pushed the thought from his Kakashi tells me you're all very familiar with the law by now, "How many of you know about discrimination."

The warm atmosphere had turned cold, "Discrimination

"If you've all been keeping up with your studies, you'll know things were different. I've had the pleasure of seeing woman pursuing a career in law enforcement, nowadays wouldn't be the place it were it not for the courage from all its officers." He looked down at the floor. "Nothing saddens me more when I discover that some of you have forgotten that. The person sitting next to you could one day save your life one day."

Hizuen seemed to know this. "It seems like you all need a little reminder, that's why Kakashi and I are going to organise a special team building exercise." Everyone let out a groan. "This won't be your everyday trust exercise, you're all going to the ANBU training grounds," he announced.

"Can you believe it we're actually going to get to train there." Naruto hadn't stopped smiling since the headmaster gave them the news. "They never let people near that place before,"

After Sasuke sent that text message his brother hadn't contacted him. At first Sasuke wellcomed a break from Itachi, but now the teen longed to hear his brother's voice. "Itachi couldn't be that mad at me, could he?" he wondered. Whenever Sasuke suffered a flashback the teen would always go to his brother for help. They wouldn't have to say anything to one another, they would just sit quietly until Sasuke fell asleep again.

Thinking about his sibling made him ache even more, so much so Sasuke pulled out his phone to text his brother. Before Sasuke's finger pressed the first key the raven got a text, he smiled when he saw it was from his bother. "Meet me for dinner tonight."

The raven cut Naruto off mid-sentence. "We'll have to celebrate another time, I'm going out tonight, don't wait up," Sasuke explained.

"As if I would wait up for you," As Sasuke replied, he didn't notice the sad look in Naruto's eyes. "You going anywhere nice?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke wanted to tell the blond it was none of his business but thought better of it. "I'm just going to dinner Itachi." He replied.

Naruto's whole demeanour changed in a heartbeat. "Itachi's your brother, that makes sense since you both look alike. But I thought he might be a cousin or something." He chuckled.

It was always the same, people would be interested and called him a genius, but the moment people discovered who his older brother was people would be more fascinated with him. "Tch, even the Dobe knows my brother." Over time Sasuke gradually learnt how to deal with these situations.

"Yeah Itachi's really cool, didn't he go undercover and take down the Akatsuki?" Naruto asked. "My pervy guardian told me all about that investigation." Naruto rambled on. " Kakashi-Sensei sometimes tells me about all the times they had when they were partners in black-ops."

That comment made Sasuke stop dead in his tracks. "Kakashi and Itachi worked together?" Sasuke repeated.

"Didn't you hear what I just said, Itachi and Kakashi worked together," Naruto repeated. "Kakashi was one of the informants on that case, that how he lost his eye."

At the time the Akatsuki were one of the most notorious gangs Kohana had ever delt with. Anyone that dared to stand against them would be found in a ditch a few hours later. For the first time since it's foundation the Uchiha and the police joined forces and formed a plan that had never been attempted before. They sent some deep undercover into the orangiseation that person went down in history as one of the bravest men in Kohana's history. Itachi Uchiha.

To this day the names of the people involved in the investigation were kept secret only a handful of people knew the full story. "How do you know that, and why would Kakashi share sensitive information with you?" He asked.

Naruto's smile fell a little. "Oh erm, about a year ago I got into trouble. You probably already know that I got busted for getting into a fight. Gramps was ok with it but the school board wanted to expel me, they would have done it but Kakashi-Sensei spoke to your brother and he got the other guy to drop the charges."

"But why would he share that with _you_."

"I just asked Kakashi-Sensei, he was fine telling me the story. Although I don't think Iruka was very happy with him afterwards." Naruto saw Sasuke was walking off. "Hey where are you going?" The blond asked.

"I'm getting ready for dinner," he replied.

* * *

It was believed that the Uchiha had founded the special unit when Kohana was founded. It had always been the Uchiha's dream to join his family. His late father had been in charge. Sasuke would sit in awe as his father described the criminals he put away. Although it was never said Sasuke looked up to his father, and saw him as a hero in his eyes and aspired to be just as brave as him.

Despite the age gap and the fact Itachi was a prodigy the brother's had been close. Until he was old enough to join karate Sasuke would beg his brother to teach him self-defense. Those ambitions were quickly quashed one-day Mitoko Uchiha forbid Itachi to use karate in front of Sasuke. Undeterred by his mother's objection, Sasuke would constantly try to get his brother alone. It didn't matter how stealthy he was He'd his mother would be lurking in the next room before he could ask. approve of the pair fighting. When the day finally came and he could practice with Itachi his mother would supervise their spars.

His stomach twisted when he saw the person sitting next to his brother. "Why did Itachi invite her?" He seethed.

Sasuke had never been fond of Izumi, his parents seemed to adore her. Sasuke came home from school he'd find the woman sitting by his brother's side giggle over the silliest things. Sasuke would hide in his room until the girl eventually left. His older brother always made it up to Sasuke later.

Sasuke almost walked out but his brother spotted him before he could make his escape.

The two brothers embraced like they always did but Sasuke never so much as said hello to Izumi. A kind waitress gave them their menus and took their odrdres before disappearing into the kitchen. Before their beverages even arrived Sasuke began to suspect something off about his brother.

Izumi was wearing an elegant red dress that showed off her slender figure, the dress looked far too splendid for just a normal diner. "What's going on here, those two are acting weirder than usual." He noticed. Sasuke's onyx eyes caught sight of the pendant around Izumi's neck. "No, it couldn't be, he wouldn't." But a second glance only confirmed what he saw the first time. There was no mistaking the red and white family crest around Izumi's slender neck. "Why is she wearing that?" Sasuke demanded.

Itachi gently took his girlfriend's hand and smiled. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about, I should have done this a long time ago. I've asked Izumi to be my wife." His brother beamed.

Out of all the things his brother had done in the past, this was by far the worst. "Are you really that fucking stupid?!" Sasuke's shouting caught the attention of the other dinners. "You know Mother and Father would never have approved of this!" He bellowed.

"Sit down Sasuke." His brother commanded.

Sasuke whirled at his brother. "When are you going to wake up and see her for what she really is?" The younger brother demanded.

His brother's finance gently held Itachi's arm. "Itachi-Kun it's ok really," she reassured. "Why don't you come home with us and we can talk this through privately." She urged.

For years Sasuke had kept his true feelings hidden what he'd wanted to say to the woman. "You may have blinded my brother with your words, but I see you for what you really are," The woman shied away from Sasuke. "So are you even going to wait until after the wedding before you kill my brother. I'd ask you what gun you'd use but gold diggers like you prefer poison don't they?" Sasuke took satisfaction from the look of hurt on his enemies face.

Izumi's eyes shone with tears. "Stop it Sasuke-kun. I can't believe you'd even think I'd..." She swallowed hard and averted her gaze while she desperately wiped her unfallen tears from her face.

As quickly as his anger appeared it disappeared. The raven hadn't noticed when Itachi rose from his seat and slapped him across the face. Sasuke went to touch his stinging cheek could already feel his cheek becoming red. "How dare you disrespect my fiancé like that." Itachi had never raised a hand to him in the past. Sasuke had never heard his brother's voice was laced with venom. "Izumi has been there for me in some of my darkest moments, she's made so many sacrifices for us, why can't you accept she makes me happy?"

"You disappear for months at a time and then get engaged and expect me to be happy for you." He snapped. "Don't come crying to me when you start getting sick." With that Sasuke ran out of the resturnt.

Sasuke kept walking until his legs carried him to a rundown bar.

A wall of loud voices and the smell of aclchol filled the air. He sat down and ordered himself a drink.

Instead of giving a ring would present their bride with a pendant with the family crest on. Mitoko often told her childern that it was far more prescoius than a ring. Sasuke's fingers gently touched his mother's necklace to reassure himself. "Something that perouis dosen't belong around her neck. I'll never forgive Itachi for this," he swore.

The alcohol warm buzz, when Sasuke reached his shot glass it slipped through his fingers. As Sasuke stood up the room started to swim out of focus and he knew nothing more.

* * *

Unlike most of the people at the bar that night, Naruto hadn't come here to drown his sorrows, he'd sat there for about an hour starting at his untouched drink. "I wonder if Sasuke's enjoying his evening." He wondered.

After trying to distract himself with studying and pruning his plants, it quickly became clear to the blond he couldn't face a night alone in his room.

After last night, Naruto planned on avoiding sleep as much as possible. "I never thought I'd feel alone without Sasuke." He laughed at himself. When the teen heard a familiar voice in the bar. The blond felt his stomach flutter when he saw the duckbutt hair at the bar. "Sasuke's here," he thought.

The teen's delight was short lived when he saw the scowling face. " He looks worked up about something." It wasn't a good idea to approach the raven in this state. Naruto might have slipped out the back and left if he hadn't heard a glass break. A chorus of cheers and laughter erupted at Sasuke's clumsiness. Naruto's concerns grew when Sasuke almost fell over. "Is Sasuke ok?" With his escape plan abandoned, Naruto moved closer so he could hear what was being said.

"I think you've had enough," the barmen said.

Sasuke started to talk to but his words came out slurred. "That settles it, something's definatly wrong." He concluded. "Sasuke didn't look tipsy when he walked in here." blond increased his efforts to get to Sasuke. Naruto pushed his way through the rowdy crowd towards his roommate. "Gotta get to him quickly." He told himself. Just as he was inches away from the raven a couple of rowdy people barged into him knocking him off balance.

Naruto picked himself up off the floor by the time he'd got to his feet Sasuke was gone. Naruto tried to block out the chaos as he scanned the bar in search of his vulnerable classmate. Unable to find him, Naruto turned to the barman for help. "Hey, where was the guy that was here just a second ago?" The blond demanded. After repeating himself three times the message seemed to get through.

Now that they understood eachother the barmen was happy to help. "Oh the guy with weird hair cut, his friends just took him home. I sure hate to be that guy in the morning." He chuckled counting his money.

Forcing his panic down Naruto tried to recall if he'd seen any approaching the raven. "Shit, someone's got to him already." How could I let him out of my sight like that?" Seething at his own incompetence Naruto darted towards the exit. "If I hurry I might be able to catch up to them" he prayed that with Sasuke incapacitated it would slow them down.

The cold air hit his face but Naruto didn't pause to savour the cool breeze. "Damn it where did they go?" He started looking for any cars but the streets were empty. He pulled out his phone and quickly dialled for help. Half way through giving the woman his location when Naruto heard a grunt. Following the scource led Naruto down a dark alley.

could make out four outlines, two of them held Sasuke in place while the third beat the defences boy. "Where's all that Uchiha bravado now?" He asked punching Sasuke in the gut.

By now Naruto was so angry that he couldn't move. "Those fuckers are beating him, I'd like to see what would happen if Sasuke wasn't passed out like that." His fists started shaking.

"Hold him still, I want to twach the Uchiha a lesson." He commanded. The two accomplices shoved Sasuke against a wall and began pulling his trousers down.

The sound of a zipper being pulled down spurred Naruto in to action. The teen didn't know he'd started moving until his punch found its target. The force of the punch sent Sasuke's attacker hurtling into a wall. Just as Naruto went to deal with the other two men the blond saw that the other two running down the alleyway.

Naruto rushed to Sasuke's side, without thinking twice the teen pulled the raven on to his lap. Every brusie burned into his memeory. "Oh god no," The teen relaxed a little when he felt the gentle breathing against his neck. Naruto leant in closer to hear what the raven was saying. "Nisan, help me." This wasn't the cocky jerk that broke the teen to see Sasuke looked like he would break at the lightest touch.

A chilly gust of wind reminded Naruto how cold it was, the blond removed his jumper and used it to keep Sasuke warm. The blond felt his heart snap in twowhen Sasuke let out small whimper. "Shhh, I'm here I've got you." Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's hair taking in his scent. "I should have gotten to him sooner. How could I let them do this to you?" He asked himself.

"Aww, isn't this a sweet sight, before I leave I have just one question. Does the Uchiha know about his little stalker?" If the boy had any sense like his friends he would have fled while Naruto was comforting Sasuke. He didn't know Naruto enough to recognise the danger he was in. The blond's warm eyes blaze with fury.

"How dare you! How dare you touch him like that." Naruto growled. By the time it finally dawned on Sasuke's attacker but it was too late for him to escape now. Naruto launched himself at his enemy. The sound of his fist contacted bounced off the alley. Naruto didn't hear the approaching sirens the voices of people commanding him to get off him.

* * *

When Sasuke eventually opened his eyes he didn't recognise the white ceiling above him. "Where...am..I?" He wondered. The raven slowly turned and found Izumi sat in a chair by his bedside half asleep. The woman woke with a start and looked pleased to see he was awake.

"Sasuke-Kun," the woman went to embrace the teen but thought better of it. The girl awkwardly played with her hair as she tried to think of what to say. "Itachi stayed most of the night, but he got called away this morning." She explained. "Let me call him, he'll be thrilled to know you're awake." She reached for her phone.

"Why am I in a hospital?" He asked.

Apart from his argument with Itachi, Sasuke struggled to remember anything else after he left the restaurant, it was as if someone had reached in and pulled the memories from his mind. However, Sasuke vaguely remembers sensations, of someone touching him and shoving him against a wall. He'd attended enough awareness assemblies not to know what happened. "What drug did they use?" He asked.

To the Uchiha's surprise she answered him straight away. "The doctors suspect it was Rohypnol," Izumi answered. Sasuke winced when he tried to move. "Stay still," she ordered. "Your ribs were only bruised thankfully." Izumi carefully adjusted his pillow.

"Yeah I suppose I should thank them for drugging me first." He mumbled.

The woman's eyes watered. "They didn't just beat you up, you were found in an alley. They'd tried to..." She didn't need to finish for Sasuke to understand.

He'd never been this scared since his parent's deaths. "Did they..." The words turned to ice in his throat found he couldn't finish the question.

Sasuke didn't push Izumi's hand away when she gently grabbed his pale hand. "No, your friend saw what those scumbags were doing and followed them. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he hadn't come to your rescue." She had tears in her eyes again. "You were very lucky, Itachi looked like he wanted to kill them."

The raven didn't need to be told how lucky he was. "Wait, what friend?" Sasuke demanded to know who had saved him.

"Oh Naruto-kun, he stayed with you in the ambulance until Itachi and I arrived. I think he just went to get a few things. You never mentioned your roommate was so sweet." She said.

"Hmpth, she wouldn't say that if she shared a room with him."

Just as Sasuke was about to enlighten her, Naruto appeared at the door carrying a tray and a bag. The food looked so unsteady Sasuke was surprised the food hadn't toppled over. "Good morning Izumi-San, I brought you some tea and something to...Sasuke you're...awake." Naruto seemed to forget how to speak when he Sasuke laying on the bed. "Um here, I made you some breakfast too in case you woke up." He said shoving the tray of food under the raven's nose.

Sasuke scrutinised what Naruto considered tomato sandwich. To top it all off the fruit had been sliced so thickly were too big making his meal look like a mountain. "Naruto tell me something, when you were preparing this abomination were you trying to choke me?" Sasuke asked.

The blond rubbed his head apologetically. "S..orry, it was the only thing I could make without burning anything." He said. "I know you like tomatoes, I see you eat them nearly every day at lunch." Naruto blushed. "Oh I bought you some cloths for when you get out of this place." He mumbled.

The raven was more interested to know how the blond was still alive. "How on earth has this idiot not starved to death yet?" He asked himself.

While Sasuke tried to understand his survival tactics, Izumi appeared to find his roommate's antics amusing. "Even so, it was really sweet of you Naruto-Kun, don't feel too bad you made a pretty good cup of tea," she praised. "You didn't have to go to so much trouble I could have just gone to the cafeteria," she explained taking another a sip of her beverage.

Naruto shook his head. "There's no way I could let you eat anything from that cafeteria. Not only is the food horrible but the tea they serve here looks more like dish water." Naruto warned. "And don't even ask me about their so-called ramen, if ichica saw what they served in here he'd weep." The blond added.

I'll keep that in mind the next time I visit, thanks for the advice." She winked. "Are your hands healing up ok?"

While Sasuke wanted to get the pair apart as soon as possible the younger sibling couldn't help but notice how familiar the pair seemed with one another. "Figures she'd be so comfortable around a murder, I bet if I left these to alone they'd start plotting to kill me next," He asked himself these perplexing questions Izumi piped up.

"I hope we're not keeping you from your studies," Izumi said.

Horror appeared on Naruto's face. "Oh crap, I'm late for class, Iruka-Sensei is going to kill me for sure this time," he announced. Before Naruto bolted out the door he said his goodbyes. "See you later Sasuke. It was nice to see you again Izumi-San and congratulations on your engagement, Itachi-San is a lucky guy." He waved.

In the past, Itachi would leave the room for some reason, leaving both of alone. Izumi would always be the one to instigate the topic, The conversation always led to one of them leaving the room. Nowadays the eldest sibling knew better and seldom left Sasuke in the same room as Izumi. The scene reminded Sasuke of those days like always it was Izumi that broke the silence. "I know you better than to expect that from you. All I want to say is, I know what this means to you, but I'm not trying to take your brother away from you." She promised. "You're always going to be the most important person in Itachi's life that will never change."

Somehow Sasuke resisted the urge to snort at her vow. "He has a funny way of showing it, he practically abandoned me when our parents died, when he does eventually show up he sends me to a boarding school. The day I finally come home he barely has time for me anymore." He snapped.

It unnerved Sasuke when Izumi's face became hard. "Things have been difficult for Itachi for the last two years, that's what Itachi wanted to tell you at dinner." The woman but her lip as she decided whether or not to continue after a brief pause Izumi continued. "Your brother wouldn't want me to tell you this but, it's his job that's been taking your brother away from you." She said in a hushed voice.

Sasuke recalled going days without seeing his brother, he'd started locking his father's old office. At last, his brother absence began to make sense. "Wait, so Itachi's been on a case for nearly two years." Sasuke couldn't fathom why his brother had confided in his girlfriend and not him. "I see, so Itachi can tell you about it but not me."

Izumi quickly came to his brother's defence. "It wasn't like that, he just came out one night. I know you want to know more, but I really don't know anything about it other than it's driving him crazy." She explained. "Your brother loves you more than anything, he just wants you to be safe and happy."

Sasuke laughed bitterly at her statement, "It's funny how that works, not only can my perfect brother to slap me for telling him the truth, but he's also aloud to meddle in my relationships." He spat. It was one of many topics that Itachi refused to talk about. Whenever Sasuke dared to breathe Neji's name his older brother would snap and repeatedly ordered him to stay away from his friend before skulking off.

To Sasuke's surprise Izumi didn't flinch at his outburst. The girl's face became stern. "Itachi did what he did to protect you! Why can't you see that?" She asked.

"Are you sure he didn't do it because the heir to the Uchiha can't stand the fact his little brother is gay." Try as he might, Sasuke could never get the image of his brother's disgusted face out of his head from that day. Until that fateful day the raven hadn't told his brother about his sexuality, he'd often thought about it, but he'd never had the courage to ask.

Sasuke couldn't read Izumi's face this time. "Talk to Itachi," With that his brother's fiancé stood up and walked off.

* * *

Izumi didn't return which suited Sasuke just fine, the Uchiha spent the remainder of the day alone. Beacuse of his bruised ribs the staff kept the raven in for a few days. The days seemed to drag on until finally one morning, the doctor agreed to discharge Sasuke. As soon as the nurses gave him the all clear and his pain killers the raven dressed himself.

"Hello Sasuke, I was just passing through and I thought I'd come and check on you." Saratobi strolled in and made himself at home.

His cuts and bruises were healing nicely all the raven wanted to do was get back to his dorm. "Hn, I'm fine just my brother making a fuss as usual." He murmured.

The headmaster didn't seem at all offended. "Ah, family can be difficult sometimes. But I share your hatred for this place, I was never one for hospitals myself when I was your age." His smile faltered a little. "I trust you've already made your statement to the police?" He asked.

Sasuke had barely eaten his breakfast when two officers came to talk to him. "Hn, it was a waste of time since I couldn't tell them much. I can't remember anything from last night." More than anything Sasuke hated feeling useless. After the two men left, the boy spent the rest of the day straining his memory trying to recall even the smallest detail.

"I'm very pleased to see you're on the mend. Also, I want to reassure you that the boys that attacked you won't get away with this." The headmaster's eyes were full of fire. "As soon as he's been discharged from the hospital he'll be remanded in custody until his trail." He promised.

"Wait they already have him in custody?" Sasuke exclaimed.

Saratobi blinked in at his student in surprise. "Oh, I just assumed that someone had already told you. Hasn't Itachi been to visit you?" Sasuke shook his head. "All I can tell you is the boy, there's no need for you to see him. Naruto's eye witness statement will be more than enough to get a conviction. discharged from the hospital."

Sasuke hadn't forgotten what Izumi said about Itachi being out for revenge. "Is that why Itach hasn't been here?" He wondered. When the younger brother thought about it, Sasuke couldn't picture his older brother taking the law into his own hands. "Did Itachi catch up to him?" The raven asked.

Saratobi seemed to find it amusing. "Luckily for him he was placed under armed guard by the time your brother arrived at the hospital. But that didn't stop Itachi from trying." He explained, "Izumi stopped him from doing something stupid, she'll make a good wife." When the old man sat down Sasuke could see his age showing.

Before he left the old man had one last thing to say to his young charge. "I doubt anything I say will change your mind, but don't go looking for your attacker." He warned.

Fear was the last thing on Sasuke's mind as he wandered the corridors. His conversation with Saratobi had left the boy with more questions than answers. Among other things Sasuke was itching to know why his attacker needed medical treatment. "Hn, if you happen to bump into that usuratonkachi, can you tell him to keep my room clean." Sasuke dreaded to think what the messy blond had done to his room.

A thin smile appeared on the headmaster's face. "To tell you the truth, that's the real reason I'm here. Naruto's been interrogating your teachers since yesterday. At least now I can finally give him some news. Knowing how stubborn that boy is, he's probably sitting outside waiting for me right now." He said with a chuckle. "You should know Your brother was very grateful to Naruto, I've never seen him hug anyone that tightly before."

Instead of going straight home like he planned, Sasuke took a detour. As the teen wandered the crowded corridors the headmaster's warning kept repeating itself. _"Don't go looking for your attacker."_ Sasuke laughed at the man's foolish attempt to deter him. "Yeah as if I was going to listen to that advice." He thought. It wasn't hard to work out where they boy was being kept all he had to do was look for the police guard. The biggest problem he'd face was gaining access to his attacker.

An hour later and Sasuke still hadn't found what he was looking for. Just as he was about to admit defeat when he spotted someone in uniform standing outside a private room. A nurse appeared at the door with medication. She flashed her ID card and went inside. "Tch, there's no way I'm going to get in there." He realised. Then something unexpected happened, the police officer followed the woman. "This is my chance," he told himself. With the coast clear Sasuke ran to the door and pushed it open just a little. His stomach lurched when he saw the form lying on the bed.

At First, Sasuke tried to deny what he already knew but the was no mistaking the broken nose and features. "It can't be, that's the same guy that broke into our room." Try as he might Sasuke couldn't seem to pull his gaze away from the bloody pulp lying on the bed. He overheard the two officers talking to a nurse. "How long do you think he'll be like that?" The man asked.

The nurse seemed happy to answer the policeman's questions. "He was lucky, the officers arrived on the scene when they did. Apparently, the kid was still punching him when they showed up." She added,

This fact seemed to amuse the boy's bodyguard a little. "If you ask me the brat got off lightly, I hear Itachi Uchiha is out for his blood." He said. "That's some friend Sasuke has."

Sasuke felt cold all over. "Naruto did that?" The raven had witnessed Naruto's temper a number of occasions, but He'd never thought Naruto would be capable of inflicting that pain on another person.

* * *

Sasuke knew he would carry that image of that boy with him forever. During his journey home a terrifying theory began going around in his head. "Did Naruto follow me that night?" He wondered, like his father Sasuke didn't believe in coincidences. It wasn't too difficult to imagine Naruto druging with the intention of dragging him off somewhere. "I've been careful up until now, maybe telling him I'm gay unerved him." just then something occurred to the raven. "Fuck, what if that idiot stumbles across the cameras." He panicked.

Dodging crowds of fan girls until finally he burst into his room. The sight that awaited him wasn't what Sasuke pictured during his frantic dash. What the raven's onyx eyes saw was worse. As soon as Sasuke appeared he saw Naruto take something out of his bedside table. He displayed all the classic signs of a child when he got caught raiding the fridge. "Oh, hey Sasuke I wasn't expecting you back so soon. I was starting to think you'd been poisoned by the hospital food." He joked.

The Uchiha was no stranger to betrayal. By now, Sasuke had lost count of the amount of school friends that he'd befriended. It always ended the same, just when the raven truly believed he'd found someone he could call a friend, things started disappearing from his house, a new video game, a pair of trainers, then he'd notice them turn up at his so-called friend's house. Even if Sasuke wasn't undercover, the Uchiha would never in a million years consider Naruto his friend, but that it didn't lessen the blow. "So that was your plan all along, wait until I was laid up in bed and then steal from me." He accused.

The blond teen didn't even have the decency to look ashamed. "Oh, I can see it must look like that but..." Sasuke cut Naruto off.

Sasuke snatched the box from Naruto's hands and opened it. "Oh very clever, hiding what you stole in a box then pretending it's a gift." He let out a breath when he stared at the contents of the box. Not only had the chain been replaced, but the pendant had been cleaned restoring his mother's pendant to its former glory. "That idiot, I can't belive someone like him would do this for me." When Sasuke looked up Naruto was already gone. He picked up the tag off the floor and read it.

"Sorry about the secrecy I wanted it to be a surprise. Get well soon."

More than just embarrassment, he felt ashamed for acting they way he'd done. The raven couldn't begin to think how he should apologise to Naruto. However, when Sasuke looked up, he saw Naruto had already left. The mess he'd expected to find wasn't there, in fact, the room looked even cleaner and reeked of polish. "I'm such an idiot."

Sasuke didn't hesitate to anwser the phone to Orochimaru's mocking voice, "Tsk tsk tsk, that wasn't very nice of you. I didn't think you would jump to conclusions like that," he teased.

Sasuke didn't let the comment bother him. "Don't worry, I'll find a way to apologise later." Allthough the Uchiha fully intended to make amends with his classmate, Sasuke wasn't worried about blowing his cover or the investigation. From the moment the raven laid eyes on Naruto's gift a tight knot wormed its way around Sasuke's stomach. The longer Sasuke stared at his mother's repaired necklace the knot in his stomach tightened,

Until he could apologise properly Sasuke pushed this to one side for the moment. It hadn't escaped Sasuke's atttion that the detective's voice sounded tired. "You don't need to keep checking up on me everyday, " The raven said flatly. "Why not get some sleep you sound like you need it more than I do?" Sasuke had seen his brother almost collapse from exhaustion more than once.

There was a brief pause before Orochimaru replied. "I appreciate your concern Sasuke-Kun I'll rest when I see that boy with a needle in his arm." He declared.

Sasuke's breathing hitched at the reply. "Sasuke was adiement that he must have misheard his mentor. "He'll be behind bars soon enough." The Uchiha promised.

Orochimaru's next response left Sasuke feeling cold. "Hmpt, life behind bars is too good for a cold blooded murder like him, no the death seems far more befitting."

* * *

 **Why do I suddenly feel you all giving me evil looks right now?**

 **I know the scene with Sasuke being drugged was brief but I still thought it was a good idea to put the warning up anyway.**

 **This chapter was fun to write, I loved adding Itachi and Izumi into the story and I'm looking forward to writing more of them soon. So sad that Naruto Shippuden has ended, but Boruto is coming out soon. I'll continue to write Naruto fanfiction so don't worry.l**


	11. The Hardest Word

**Hey everyone, thank you so much for all your reviews and following my story I really appreciate it. Sorry for not updating in awhile. This Chapter proved more challenging than I expected, anyway enough with the excuses here's the new chapter please enjoy.**

 **Warning contains Self-harm and a little Neji x Sasuke lemon**

* * *

 **The Hardest Word**

While the rest of the campus slept comfortably, Naruto spent his lonely nights tossing and turning but knew no position was going to make a difference. Admitting defeat the blond stared at his clock and watched the digits change. "I wonder if Sasuke's getting much sleep." He thought turned over to look at the empty bed beside him.

The last few days since that night it was all Naruto could think about. Naruto could remember every detail from the rotting smell of the food in the bins to the look on the boy's face as he punched him again.

No matter how many punches the blond landed it did nothing to smother the fire burning inside him. While Naruto paused to catch his breath back, he took hold of the semi-conscious youth's shirt, what had once been white was now splattered with the blood. The blond pulled Sasuke's attacker into the sitting position. "How could you hurt Sasuke like that?" He seethed.

It seemed to take the boy awhile to understand the question, a glint of recognition in Sasuke's attacker's eyes. He gave a bitter laugh before spitting a mouthful of blood in Naruto's face.

The boy's lack of guilt sent another wave of anger roaring through Naruto, before the teen could fly into another rage, something in the adolescent's hand caught Naruto's attention. "What's that in his hand?" He wondered.

After a brief struggle, Naruto managed to untangle the small object from the attacker's fingers. One look at the red and white crest and Naruto knew who the piece of jewellery belonged to. "This is Sasuke's necklace," he realised. The blond's eyes narrowed when he spotted the broken chain. Something Iruka once told him in class. "I bet this creep planned on keeping this as a souvenir," Naruto could see Sasuke's attacker staring at the item and reliving every sick detail. These thoughts almost sent Naruto into another blind rage until he heard a small whimper.

In a blink of an eye, Naruto moved away from the bloodied lifeform and returned to Sasuke's side. "Hey Sasuke, are you alright?" The blond's heart sank when he realised Sasuke hadn't regained consciousness. Naruto's breath shook when he saw Sasuke's swollen face. "He looks even worse than before," he noted. In no time at all, every bruise burned its way into the orange clad's memory. Naruto took comfort from the slow rise and fall of Sasuke's chest.

"I hope Sasuke's warm enough in my jacket,"That's when an idea came to mind. The blond sat on the floor and gently lifted Sasuke onto his lap. "Hey, look what I found Sasu," he said dangling the broken pendant in Sasuke's face. "Sorry, I know it's broken and a little dirty, but I'll get it fixed for you," he promised.

While Naruto waited for help to arrive, he started whispering soft words to his friend and kept him warm. The new nickname surprised Naruto at how natural it felt. "I wonder what Sasuke would say if he heard me calling him that," he laughed at himself a little. A few minutes later, Naruto heard the sound of echoing of footsteps running towards the alleyway.

"We're over here!" Naruto yelled.

While a police officer started asking Naruto questions, A paramedic appeared next to Naruto and began asking him about Sasuke's condition. "How long has he been unconscious for?" The man asked as he put an oxygen mask on Sasuke's face.

Naruto found it difficult to answer their questions. "I'm not sure, Sasuke's not said a word, I can't wake him."

When the medic attempted to remove Sasuke, Naruto pulled the teen even closer to his chest. Deep down, Naruto knew that they wanted to help, but the thought of letting go of Sasuke go terrified him. "No, I promised I wouldn't leave him alone," the blond told the paramedic.

The kind paramedic knelt down to Naruto's level. "Those hands of yours look painful, why don't you come with your friend in the ambulance?" He offered.

Naruto gave a small nod. Despite the medic's promise Naruto still wouldn't let anyone touch Sasuke and insisted he carried his friend into the ambulance. With no other way around it, Naruto carefully laid Sasuke onto the stretcher.

The policemen cleared his throat, "I know it's been a rough night for both of you, but can you give me a description of his attacker?" The man asked.

"Yes, I think he's still down there." Naruto pointed to the direction.

A second later the police officer returned to the ambulance, Naruto noticed the anxious look in the man's eyes. "We're going to need another ambulance." He said.

* * *

The sound of Naruto's alarm snapped him out of his thoughts. The blond couldn't be sure if it had been another flashback or a dream.

While most didn't know the full story, by late afternoon there were at least three different versions of the orange clad's heroic deed. The teen went from being an outcast to a hero overnight with both teachers and students alike praising the blond for his quick actions.

While most of the university showered the boy with praise, Naruto didn't feel he deserved the pats on the back or kind words. "Why are they treating me like a hero after I almost killed that guy?" He questioned. "Even now I can't explain what happened to me, it was like someone else took over." Naruto shivered whenever he thought about what he did to Sasuke's attacker.

Their kind words and praise would be drowned out by a little voice in the back of the blond's head. _"Sasuke's lying in the hospital with cracked ribs because you hesitated like the coward you really are, it should be you lying in a bed."_ It hissed.

Naruto spent hours staring at the empty bed. He longed to wake up to the smell of Sasuke's deodorant and the sound of him tapping away at the desk. " _You should have got there sooner, Sasuke's not here because of you. it's all your fault."_

Before the hospital discharged the teen the doctor prescribed him a week's worth of painkillers, only to throw the slip of paper in a nearby bin as soon as he left the hospital. His fingers couldn't hold a pen without it sliding out of his grip. Every punch sent a spasm of pain up his arm, Naruto decided this would be his penance. But after a few days, the pain began to dull and Naruto decided it wasn't enough.

The teen dragged himself out of bed and took one last look at the empty bed before walking into the bathroom.

Instead of collecting the prescription Naruto brought himself a brand new blade from the chemist a few days ago. Until now the teen hadn't used it. Without any hesitation, the orange-clad dragged it across his scarred chest only letting out the smallest his.

Naruto's guilt wasn't satisfied with the shallow cuts. _"No, they need to be deeper, this time."_ He told himself. By the time Naruto felt it was enough he was leaning over the sink breathing heavily from the pain.

After cleaning up the mess in the bathroom, Naruto walked to his first lesson. It wasn't long before his new additions started troubling him. The blond grit his teeth whenever his bag straps rubbed the tender skin. "Looks like these things are gonna hurt for a while," he realised.

Too busy ignoring his pain to pay attention to his surroundings. It wasn't long before the distracted teen bumped into someone. The impact wasn't particularly hard, but yet collision sent shooting pain in Naruto's chest. "Hey watch where you're going," Naruto snapped. Once the pain subsided Naruto looked up he saw he'd bumped into the headmaster.

"Saratobi-sama, sorry I didn't know it was you." He apologised.

Saratobi seemed pleased to see the teen. "Oh Naruto I'm glad I bumped into you actually, I visited your roommate this morning and Sasuke's going to be discharged sometime this afternoon." He announced. "And from what I hear he plans on coming back to campus today." The old man's mouth curved into a smile.

The blond's eyes sparkled at the news. "Really! that's great," he yelled.

Lectures seemed even longer than usual that day. "Come on, I want to beat Sasuke back to his room," he whined to himself. When Iruka finally dismissed his class, Naruto raced back to his room. When the orange-clad wasn't greeted with a scowling face the teen knew Sasuke wasn't back yet. "All right, looks like Sasuke's not back yet. No doubt that neat freak will want this room spick and span." For the first time in Naruto's life, the teen started cleaning. "I'll bet pervy sage and Kiba would die if they could see me now." He smile faltered a little when he thought of his old friend. "No not today," he promised himself.

Naruto's new desire to protect Sasuke became a source of strength. "Once my hands heal I'm going to double my training," Naruto vowed, "From now on I'm going to make sure nothing like that happens again," he lifted up another book to dust underneath."I swear I'll never let anyone hurt Sasuke," he vowed.

During Naruto's cleaning ritual that the orange-clad remembered Sasuke's present. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Sasu's necklace. Maybe I should hide it somewhere and surprise him," After trying out a few possible places, Naruto finally settled on under Sasuke's pillow.

Just as Naruto placed the box under the pillow, Sasuke burst into the room gasping for breath. Naruto jumped away from the bed hiding the gift behind his back. "Should he really be running around like that?" He wondered. "Oh hey, Sasuke I wasn't expecting you back until later." Naruto's heart was pounding away, his hands were so sweaty he thought the box was going to slip out of his hand. "What's wrong with me why I am so nervous."

Sasuke's onyx eyes bore into him. "So that was your plan all along, wait until I was laid up in bed and then steal from me." He accused.

At first, Naruto didn't understand. "Oh, I can see it must look like that but..." Sasuke cut him off.

Sasuke snatched the box from Naruto's hands he tore off the tag. "Oh very clever, hiding what you stole in a box then pretending it's a gift." He snapped. Sasuke's reaction was everything Naruto dreamed it would be, he watched as Sasuke traced the cleaned family crest with his pale finger, lifted it out of the box and he didn't say a word.

While Sasuke admired his gift, Naruto was speechless for a very different reason. He couldn't believe what just happened. "He thinks I...how could he even think I'd steal from him?" He seized his chance and walked out the room before Sasuke could speak.

* * *

Sakura was starting to regret her meeting place, while the empty classroom it felt too big for a small group of people. As time dragged on Sakura began to wonder if they were even going to show up. "What's taking those two so long?" She wondered.

Two minutes before Sakura was about to leave Her two friends finally arrived. "I should have known those two would take their time." She sighed.

"You know we could have just met up in the lunch hall?" Choji pointed out.

Now that Sakura thought about it that would have made much more sense.

Sakura didn't even get the chance to say one word. "Choji and I already know what you're going to say Sakura, and the answer is no I'm not getting involved." He said flatly.

Of all people, Sakura was certain Shikamaru would want to help her. The girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. "shout at the pair, in a rare show of strength she restrained herself. "Shikamaru I know you're probably still angry but Naruto didn't mean what he said, he's just upset." The boy neither moved or went to deny it, "I'm sure if we all put our heads together we can find a way to get through to him."

Sakura clenched her fists. "How can you say that after everything that's happened recently, you know as well as I what will happen the moment Naruto sets foot into that training ground." Her voice cracked like a whip.

Choji stared at his half eaten sandwich. "Shikamaru, I know you said we shouldn't say anything, but do you think it might help if we tell Sakura and Naruto."

"What good would it do?" He asked. "Sakura wouldn't understand and Naruto's not ready to hear it yet. We just need to wait it out a little longer." He said.

"I already told you I don't care about that, but you know he wouldn't listen to us anyway." He explained.

Like Sakura, the sweet-natured Choji also feared for his friend. He'd seen what happened too many times. "But if we don't warn Naruto before the trip he could get really freaked out." Choji warned, "don't you remember what happened the last time, it took two teachers to calm him down." He reminded.

"I haven't forgotten," he said at last. "But maybe a wake-up call is just that's what he needs, the more we try to force him to tell us what's wrong the more he'll push us away." Shikamaru went back to staring at the white clouds. As Shikamaru watched the sky his mind was on other things.

The laid back teen tried to avoid drama whenever he could. Try as he might Shikamaru never seemed to shut out his surroundings.

Sasuke hadn't even unpacked a box when Shikamaru's instincts kicked in. "Nothing about Sasuke's move makes any sense," While Naruto had stormed off Shikamaru made some inquiries. "There were three other vacant rooms, and yet Sasuke picked Naruto's room. That just doesn't make any sense." Before that day the stuck up teen had never so much as glanced at Naruto, and now all of a sudden the Uchiha that was spending time with one of his closest friends.

None of these facts meant anything. He's tried putting Try as he might, Shikamaru just couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going on and he hated it. "Just what is Sasuke up to?" He asked himself.

* * *

The Uchiha never understood it when people said they wanted the ground to swallow them up. While it was a favourite way for teenagers and adults to describe their most embarrassing moments, to Sasuke the phrase was overused and redundant. Ironically, Sasuke couldn't think of a better to describe his embarrassment.

As soon as the Uchiha laid eyes on his mother's necklace, Sasuke wanted nothing more than curl into a ball. "It looks even better than it did before," the teen didn't even want to think about how much it had cost to fix it. "Naruto's not going to come back until late, I wouldn't be surprised if he stays out all night again." Some of Sasuke's predictions were soon proven correct when Naruto returned to the dorm at 10 o'clock that night, but there was no shouting or threats to move out, in fact, his roommate didn't say a word. The silence between them was torture.

Life before Naruto had been simple, back then Sasuke never had to worry about surveillance cameras or being murdered in his sleep. When Sasuke went home Izumi would be in the kitchen cooking dinner, after sneaking past his brother's girlfriend, Sasuke locked himself in his room for hours with nothing but his father's books to keep him company. Those peaceful days felt like a lifetime ago.

Now Sasuke longed for the solitude of his room filled his time with books. Back then, the teenager never had to consider other people's feelings. When the fifth day passed without a word, Sasuke realised this wasn't going to go away on its own. There was only one this for it, he'd have to apologise. The Uchiha rehearsed his apology in his head a dozen times, Sasuke decided to approach the blond in the morning when he'd most likely listen to him.

As soon as Naruto started to stir Sasuke made his move. "Look, about before...I didn't mean to...what I'm trying to say is..." Again and again, Sasuke tried to speak, but whenever he gazed into those azure eyes, Sasuke's throat would constrict before he could get the words out.

"Well, I'm waiting," Naruto said groggily.

The moment had passed in a blink of an eye. "Just forget it," he mumbled.

After such failing miserably, Sasuke decided it wasn't safe to attempt another apology, while he waited for another opportunity Sasuke began to notice Naruto wouldn't return to his room until the crack of dawn. Iruka had already caught him sleeping in class twice that week after the second time the instructor had sternly warned Naruto he'd be suspended if he caught again. When Naruto returned to the room Sasuke pretended to be asleep.

While most of his classmates talked nonstop about the upcoming school trip, Sasuke and Naruto went back to sitting in different seats again.

Because of the atmosphere, Sasuke found it impossible to relax had another more odd effect on the teen. Along with the fight stirred up old memories of Sasuke's parent's things that he hadn't thought about for years.

Itachi and his father very rarely argued, but whenever they did, everyone suffered. No raised voices or doors being slammed like most family disputes, what did happen was far voice than a cruel word or a loud noise. leave a suffocating atmosphere whenever they crossed paths. Sasuke stopped writing for a moment to check his phone for messages. "Still no word from Itachi," Itachi's silence didn't come as a complete surprise, but usually, Sasuke was the one dishing out the silent treatment.

Just as Sasuke was about to go back to writing his notes his phone began to vibrate. "Could it be him," The Uchiha grabbed his phone a both happy and sad to see he'd got a text from Neji, _"Want to come to the pool with me."_ Sasuke jumped at the chance to clear his head and be with his friend at the same time.

The Uchiha let out a wince when he sat up. By now his bruises were beginning to turn yellow and his ribs were almost healed he'd been banned from the gym until he was fully healed. Sasuke watched as Naruto rolled over in his bed taking his pillow with him. Before he left Sasuke couldn't stop himself. "Just so you know you're terrible at pretending to be asleep."

* * *

It wasn't like he'd never apologised before, Sasuke didn't know where to start. "One thing's for sure, a bowl of ramen isn't going to be enough this time." He thought to himself. "If I just apologised that might be enough, but whenever I get near Naruto the words won't come." Their fight wasn't the only reason Sasuke was avoiding the blond. After doing some research, Sasuke uncovered something shocking about his mentor. Every case Orochimaru had ever been involved ended the same. Every suspect was put to death. Whenever Sasuke imagined Naruto being found guilty he'd always pictured his suspect spending the rest of his life behind bars.

While a life behind bars Sasuke was sure he wouldn't lose any sleep, but sending Naruto to his death was a different matter entirely. Sasuke pursed his lips whenever he thought about it. "I can't believe Orochimaru never told me what he was planning from the very start. Had I known his intentions from the start, I would never have set foot near Naruto." He needed a few hours away from Naruto to think about this.

While Sasuke couldn't tell Neji about his troubled a few hours with his best friend would provide the perfect escape. "I bet Itachi would love that," Sasuke's lips curved into a smile while he enjoyed his disobedience. His smile flattered a little, there was a time Sasuke's heart would skip a beat whenever thought about meeting up with Neji, but his brother had soured that too.

Neither boy wanted people to know about their relationship. Even though they'd only been seeing each other in secret for the for a few weeks, but each day brought Sasuke untold joy. For the first time in years, Sasuke didn't mind that his brother was spending time with Izumi, it meant he could sneak his lover into the house without being disturbed.

The pair barely made it up to the bedroom before their clothes were scattered on the bedroom floor.

Sasuke let out a soft moan with every gentle kiss. Neji's cool attitude, Sasuke soon discovered that his friend was very passionate under the sheets. Their first kiss had been a fight for dominance, but Sasuke's lack of experience proved o be his undoing. Now the pair were now exploring each other and learning more about their bodies.

Sasuke just started becoming lost in the moment when his bedroom door flew open, Sasuke and Neji broke their kiss to see the intruder was none other the sight of Itachi standing in the door.

For the longest time, the elder sibling said nothing, but his eyes said everything. "How dare you?" He seethed. stormed towards them and yanked Neji off the bed and threw the teen out the room like the teen weighed nothing. "Get out of my house now, or do you need directions?"

Unlike Sasuke, Neji didn't seem the least bit fazed by his brother's instruction. "My. this isn't very Uchiha like of you Itachi-San looks like your halo is slipping a little,"

Sasuke almost warned the Neji to keep quite, but Itachi was already shoving the half dressed boy out the door before the raven to say goodbye.

Itachi barely gave Neji enough time to grab his clothes before he through him out the door. Sasuke sat in his room hour what felt like hours waiting for his brother to come back. When the youngest Uchiha finally worked up the courage to go downstairs Izumi was waiting for him.

Three days later, Itachi finally came out of his room. Sasuke never forgot what his brother said to him.

"You're never to see that boy again is that clear Sasuke, if he comes anywhere near this house again I'll have him sleeping in a cell," Itachi promised.

Sasuke continued to meet with Neji in secret against his brother's wishes. Not even their busy studies could keep them apart, but whenever the pair kissed Sasuke would see Itachi's disgusted face. Overtime his insecurities and guilt hadn't been intermating with each other since. Whenever their lips touched Sasuke would see Itachi's disapproving glare.

Sasuke felt his friend eyes scanning him. Once Neji finished giving him a once over. "Are you healing ok?" He asked at last. "I heard they beat you up pretty good." Neji smiled warmly.

"Typical Neji, I can't seem to hide anything from him." Now, whenever Sasuke walked passed his fangirls instead of swooning, they gave him looks of pity. The fact that he couldn't remember anything from that night provided little comfort. The bruises were a constant reminder of how close he'd come. Not wanting Neji to pick up on his fears Sasuke gave a half shrug. "Hn, just a little bruised," If anyone else had asked Sasuke he would have told shrugged off their concern but Neji was different.

Sasuke couldn't help but notice his friend looked a little disappointed with his answer. "That's a shame if you were still hurting we could always go back to my room and I could use my healing touch on you." He purred.

Usually, Sasuke longed to feel Neji's breath against his neck, but this time his body froze and pushed the boy away, Sasuke rushed to help Neji to his feet. "Sorry, it's not you. I just don't feel like being touched at the moment." He admitted. "What just happened? Naruto plenty of times and never had that reaction."

After his reaction, Sasuke expected Neji to walk away. To Sasuke's relife Neji didn't look at all offended. "No it's fine, I should have known better. After what you've been through it's only natural." He gave Sasuke a warm smile. "Perhaps you should consider talking to someone, it won't do you any good to keep that bottled up." He warned. "You know I'm free if you want to talk about anything," He offered.

Sasuke knew if he didn't tell Neji something he'd persist until he got an answer. The pair found a bench and sat down, once they were seated Sasuke told his former lover about Itachi and what happened at the restaurant. Neji's ability to listen It was one of the few perks that came with having a friend.

Even Sasuke struggled to read Neji's face. "So Itachi finally decided to marry that woman," No sooner did Neji express his detain youth quickly apologised for what he said. "Forgive me Sasuke, I know he's your brother, but never understood what Itachi sees in that woman." He apologised.

Hearing someone else agree with him always helped Sasuke. "No it's fine, I don't like it either." He clenched his fists until his nails started to cut into his skin. "I just can't believe my brother's going to marry her" he seethed, Almost two weeks had passed and the teen still couldn't get his head around the idea of Izumi being a part of his family. Whenever Sasuke pictured his brother walking down the aisle with the woman it made Sasuke feel sick.

"Is that when you walked off?" Neji asked.

"Hn," he replied. Almost a week had passed since the brother's fight in the restaurant, Itachi hadn't contacted him. Sasuke wasn't sure if he could ever face his brother again after that. "No doubt Itachi's already changed the locks," he thought sullenly.

"So is it true what I've heard about Naruto?" Neji asked

Despite the fact, Sasuke still had a tough time picturing the clumsy blond coming to his rescue. "Yeah, Naruto saved me," he admitted. "If he hadn't shown up I don't know how far they'd gone."

A glint of anger flashed in Neji's eyes, but as quickly as it appeared it vanished. "I hate to burst your bubble but didn't your hero almost kill that boy. From what I've heard he's still in the hospital." Neji revealed. "To be honest, I'm surprised the police allowed Naruto to walk the streets after what he did, I know that he was protecting you but that doesn't excuse beating a guy half to death," he finished.

Sasuke stared at Neji in disbelief. "How did you know the guy's still in hospital?" While everyone knew about the attack, no one knew about the identity of his attacker or his injuries.

Without even the slightest ounce of hesitation, Neji answered. "No need to interrogate me Sasuke, I overheard the headmaster talking about it the other day." His eyes fixed Sasuke a hard stare. "Is that the only thing that's bothering you, or is there something else you want to talk about?"

As much as Sasuke trusted Neji, the teen wasn't sure if he should tell his friend anymore without revealing his new hobby. "No, it's not that. Let's just say I didn't exactly thank Naruto when they let me out of the hospital." Sasuke found it hard just admitting to his mistake. "When I got back, I found Naruto in my room, I thought he'd stolen from me, but it turned out he'd actually done something nice." As Sasuke told his story reached for his mother's necklace around his neck.

"It's not like you to feel guilty this long," Neji pointed out.

Sasuke struggled to remember the last time he'd had a normal conversation that didn't involve murder. Before Orochimaru had come along and dragged him in the middle of a double homicide the pair would often message each other somehow Neji always seemed to know when he needed to unload. As the conversation started to flow Neji told him about how his classes were going and that he was now helping the school counsellor. "How could I have not known my best friend was doing so well." Just as the teen let himself relax when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, you left this behind." Sasuke felt sick when he turned around and saw Naruto standing behind him holding out a pair of earphones.

* * *

Only he was sure Sasuke had left the room Naruto crawled out of bed. "I was starting to think Sasuke was never going to leave," He thought to himself.

Naruto planned on just getting dressed until he caught a glimpse of his reflection, not even he could ignore his dishevelled appearance. The dark circles under the blond's eyes were becoming more noticeable each day. Even though he'd been washing regularly, his had become caked with grease. Naruto sighed tiredly, "Looks like I can't put it off any longer." He mumbled.

Without any further delay, Naruto grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom.

The blond turned the shower on and waited for the water to warm up before getting in. As soon as Naruto put his head under the warm spray and sighed with content. "Mmm, so good," he breathed. Things were going well until Naruto washed his hair. The blond let out a hiss of pain as the shampoo got into his open wounds. When the burning pain subsided, the teen checked his cuts, while they were still healing slowly neither of them showed any signs of infection. "Just a few more days and they'll both be healed, hopefully, they'll be healed in time for the school trip next week." He hoped.

As painful as it had been if felt good to feel clean again. Once he was out of the bathroom Naruto on a pair of jeans and a black hoodie. The teen stared at the empty bed longingly, "I wonder where Sasuke was off to in such a hurry?" He wondered.

Going to the gym was the perfect way to avoid Sasuke and keep his earlier promise he'd made. While it seemed like the perfect solution at the time, his new training regime was beginning to affect his school work during the day. Whenever he heard Sasuke wince or saw him struggled to get out of a chair in class Naruto would feel his heart clench painfully. "What right do I have to complain about feeling tired and two scratches when Sasuke can barely get out of bed without crying out in pain," he told himself.

The night Sasuke come out to him sparked hope, Naruto even wondered if maybe they could be friends but Sasuke's accusations had crushed that hope faster than he could eat a bowl of ramen, and just like that Naruto felt alone again. "Maybe it's better this way, besides I doubt Sasuke will ever trust me again." he sighed with dismay and put his head on the desk. Soon this position became uncomfortable and the blond was forced to turned his neck. When he did Naruto noticed something lying on Sasuke's bedside table. "Looks like Sasuke left his earphones behind," he realised.

With a number of times Naruto had seen his roommate, he'd always see Sasuke with his earphones in. Naruto had tried countless times to listen, but he never able to tell what the teen was listening to. "I bet he likes classical." He thought. The one thing Naruto knew for sure was that Sasuke couldn't study without listening to music. "No don't even think about it, if I take them to Sasuke he's only going to think you stole them," he told himself.

After trying to ignore the feeling Naruto couldn't take it anymore. "Damn that Uchiha," he spat grabbing the earphones.

"Now if I were Sasuke were would I go?" Naruto asked himself as scanned the crowds of students for his roommate. "He's always got his nose buried in a book so I guess the library is a good place to start. Erm just where is that again?" He asked himself.

When his search at the library came up empty the teen wracked his brain for news places to search. After an hour of fruitless searching, Naruto began to wander around campus in the hopes he'd bump into his roommate. "I don't even know why I'm doing this anyway, now that jerk he won't even say thanks." he seethed. As Naruto was about to admit defeat, he spotted the trademark duck butt hair sitting on a bench.

But the teen wasn't sitting alone. "Who's that girl Sasuke's talking to?" He wondered, Naruto shook the thought from his head. "It doesn't matter, I'll just give him the earphones and leave." As Naruto walked towards the pair his throat went dry and his hands were slippy with sweat. "Come on don't do this now, just a few more steps," he told himself. When he was close enough, Naruto tapped Sasuke on the shoulder and handed him the earphones. "Hey, you forgot these."

Far from looking grateful, Sasuke looked as though he was about to be sick. "I haven't seen him this pale since that first aid lesson." He recalled. "What if he's sick again," he panicked. Naruto pushed that thought to one side for a moment and started at the person sitting next to Sasuke.

From a distance, Naruto thought Sasuke was talking to a girl, but now that he was up close Naruto realised it was a boy. The gender mistake didn't make it any easier for Naruto to identify the teenager. He was a little taller than Naruto with dark brown hair, fair skinned and like Sasuke he wore a white shirt that didn't have the slightest crease, his black trousers were just as neat and his black shoes shone like mirrors. When he smiled Naruto caught a glimpse of his perfect white teeth.

Usually Naruto never usually paid much attention to his own appearance, he'd grown used to standing next to Sasuke. But with two people so well dressed, Naruto felt scruffy in just his orange hoodie, jeans and damp hair. "Hey, sorry I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He shifted.

* * *

This was the very situation Sasuke hoped to avoid, "Damn it, I didn't even hear him approaching, is he the part cat?"

Just when Sasuke thought things couldn't get any worse, Neji began talking to his murder suspect. "So you're the infamous Naruto I've heard so much about. I believe I owe you a thank you for coming to Sasuke's rescue," Neji held out his hand for Naruto to shake it.

Naruto nervously took his hand. "Wow, teme I didn't know you had friend's" he teased.

A few weeks ago Sasuke would have been offended by the comment, but he'd grown used to Naruto's sense of humour. He knew the joke was supposed to break the ice, but the air seemed to grow even colder.

Normally, Sasuke was always armed with a witty a comeback to counter Naruto's jibes, but instead, the Uchiha was trying to come up with an excuse to get Naruto away from his closest friend. "This can't be happening, not now, how could I let my guard down so easily?" Without even thinking about it Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and started dragging him away.

Sasuke didn't get two steps away before he realised Naruto wasn't going to come quietly, "Hey, what are you doing Teme?" The struggling blond dug his heels into the ground and pulled his arm free. "What am I not good enough to talk to your friends now?" Naruto snapped.

Sasuke wanted this cold hearted killer as far away from his best friend. Before the Uchiha could think of something Neji got up and joined him.

Neji seemed amused by the pair. "You'll have to forgive Sasuke, I think his pain medication has made him forget his manners." Sasuke had never know Nej to crack a joke before. "It's nice to finally meet you Naruto, I'm Neji Hyuga," he greeted. "Sasuke was just telling me that he hasn't thanked you properly, allow me to invite you for dinner sometime," he offered.

Neither Naruto or Sasuke expected Neji's kind gesture. "What is Neji doing?" Sasuke wasn't sure how much more he could take.

"Yeah, sure I'd love to." Naruto smiled.

"We're about to go for a swim, do you want to join us?" Neji offered,

By this point, Sasuke wanted to pull his hair out. "Oh you've got to be kidding me, come on there has to be a way to get rid of him." While Sasuke went back to thinking of ways to get rid of Naruto, he didn't have to do anything.

Naruto's behaviour shifted in an instant, the blond looked a little pale. "No...thanks I have some...studying to do. I'll see you later Sasuke, and it was nice to meet you Neji." With that Naruto all but ran away from them.

Sasuke didn't take his onyx eyes off the blond until he was certain he was out of sight. Even with Neji out of harm's way, Sasuke's heart continued to hammering in his chest. "I'm sorry about that, if I'd known he was going to follow me here I would have met you somewhere safer," Sasuke explained. Now Sasuke was sure Naruto was starting to follow him. "Could he be watching me, he better stay away from Neji?" he thought darkly.

But instead, Neji was smiling warmly at him. "Don't be sorry Sasuke-San, now that I've met him I find your roommate very entertaining." He didn't look at all fazed by his encounter with Naruto. "Why don't we put our swim on hold for now?" He suggested. "It seems like you've got a lot on your mind."

"Yeah, thanks for the chat. We'll have to do this again soon."

"Whatever is bothering you I'm sure you'll find away to get through it." Neji said, "People find out who they are when push comes to shove. Students here don't realise the pressures we face, they think having a family name gives you some kind of advantage in life. You and I know that's not true." He said glumly.

Nothing else happened that day. After classes finished, the raven tried to follow Naruto again. But by the time Sasuke turned the corner, Naruto had already disappeared into the crowd. "Damn it, how is it possible to loose sight of someone wearing an orange jacket?" He asked himself. With his latest attempt to track the blond a failure, Sasuke decided to return to his dorm.

The Uchiha barely got through the door when his phone started to vibrate, Sasuke almost dropped the phone when saw it was Orochimaru calling him. Sasuke wasn't expecting his mentor to call him so soon. "Hello, Sasuke-kun, after our chat it occurred to me that I didn't even ask you how you're coping after your assault, I hear you were very lucky." He began.

"Hn, I'm not sure you can call cracked ribs lucky," he replied. As Orochimaru prattled on about statistics, Sasuke's mind was on other things. Neji's words from before had struck a chord with the teen when at last Orochimaru finished Sasuke saw his chance to ask the man a question. "Do you know why Naruto wasn't arrested for what he did to that boy?" Sasuke asked.

Orochimaru let out a laugh a small laugh. "Oh that was down to your brother once again, apparently he was very grateful to our suspect for coming to your rescue." Sasuke could hear the destain in the man's voice. "Before I let you get on with your homework, there's one last thing I want to ask you. After our last chat Kabuto got the impression I may have upset you," he began.

Sasuke inhaled deeply before revealing his concerns to his mentor. "No, it's not that, when I agreed to take on your case, I thought our suspect would get a life sentence," Sasuke explained. "Do you think a death sentence is a little extreme," he admitted. The teen had gone over every option he could think of from quitting to ignoring his fear, but this wasn't about hiding a phobia or acting calm under pressure, this was someone's life.

It seemed like hours before Orochimaru finally responded. "You surprise me, I thought you of all people would know the justice system is too soft on criminals these days, two young lives have been taken, that alone is worthy of the death penalty. It wasn't enough just to take their lives, this cold-blooded killer decided to make both their deaths look like a suicide." Sasuke thought he'd finished but he was wrong. "Can you even begin to imagine the torment those two the families are going through. Not a day goes by when Kiba's mother calls the station begging for someone to review the case." I can't give them the answers they deserve." It was strange to hear the desperation in Orochimaru's voice.

"In future leave the punishment to me, the next time I call you I expect you to have something for me." He finished.

After Orochimaru hung up Sasuke tried to do some homework.

The detective's words had left an impact on Sasuke. The more he thought about Kiba's mother the more his blood boiled. "I've spent the last few days moping around over a stupid gift, meanwhile that killer is roaming the campus without a care in the world." No that wasn't true, Naruto wasn't the same loud classmate he'd seen a few months ago. "Naruto's defiantly suffering, maybe I can get him to confess I just need to push him harder."

This dinner with Neji could give him valuable insight into his suspect, even so, Sasuke was still hesitant to expose Neji again. "Maybe I can convince Neji to call the dinner off, he recalled. "I'll worry about that later, first I need stop fooling around and to apologise to Naruto. If I can do that then maybe just maybe I'll be able to earn back his trust." Sasuke waited for until Naruto to return, to the Uchiha's surprise Naruto came back early.

After the usual awkward silence, Sasuke spoke first. "Thanks for bringing me my headphones, how did you find out where I was?" He began.

Naruto leant against the door frame and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It wasn't easy, at first I thought you might have gone to the library, but you weren't there so I just wandered around until I saw you with Neji." His face darkened a little. "I didn't steal your headphones if that's what you're thinking," he mumbled.

Naruto's words stung worse than when Itachi slapped him. Sasuke swallowed hard. This time Sasuke had revised and practised his apology until the Uchiha knew what he wanted to say, but once again his throat started to tighten. "Look, I'm...s...sss..sorry, I shouldn't have accused you like that." He said at last.

To his surprise, Naruto started laughing. "Wow, I don't think I've ever heard anyone struggle so much in all my life," he teased.

Sasuke sat there dumbfounded. "If you're going to act like that then I won't bother in future." Before Sasuke could make his escape, Naruto grabbed his hand. "Wait, I didn't flinch when he touched me." Sasuke realised.

Naruto seemed more serious this time. "It's ok, you're not the only Sasuke wondered what could have happened. "Since we're both apologising, I'm sorry I didn't get you sooner if I had maybe you wouldn't have been beaten up." He mumbled.

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was coming out of his rival's mouth. Before he could think about what to do the next sentence jumped out of his mouth. "Get your sorry ass over here." He ordered. He'd practically shouted at the teen again. To Sasuke's amazement, Naruto actually obeyed. "Thank you, for what you did if you hadn't followed me then those two would have definitely done more than just punch me."

Naruto looked starstruck. "Wow, a thank you and an apology on the same day, are you sure you're really Sasuke?" He accused.

Sasuke threw his hardest glare at the teenager's direction, but his tactic only made Naruto laugh even more. "Doesn't this idiot know when to shut up?" Sasuke asked himself. It had taken Sasuke days to pluck up the courage to apologise and thank the teen. But it took Naruto less than a minute to ruin it. "That's the last time I try and be nice to you." He vowed. "Get off my bed before you ruin it." He shoved the orange-clad off the bed.

"Are you actually sulking?" Naruto wandered back to his side of the room.

Trying to avoid another argument, Sasuke put his earphones on. "That should give me a break from his voice while I try and plan my next move." Something hit him in the back of his head. When Sasuke spun around to see Naruto rolling on the bed laughing. "Oh real mature," he scoffed at his roommate's antics before throwing the pillow at him with as much force as he could.

But lately, Sasuke hadn't been afraid to sleep around the teen. With music in his ears, Sasuke drifted off to sleep. When the teenager woke up the room was a lot darker now. "I must have fallen asleep," he realised rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Waiting for that moron to get home was a mistake, if wants to run himself into the ground that's his business, but I have a family name to live up to," Sasuke told himself.

The teen swapped his creased shirt and trousers for a blue night shirt and black shorts.

So far he'd followed his nightly routine to a tee, but tonight something unexpected was to throw his routine out the window. It was 9 o'clock and Naruto was sound asleep in his bed. "So that idiot does have limits, after all, I'm surprised Naruto's lasted this long." His onyx eyes spotted the bed sheet lying on the floor. Sasuke ignored this thought. "It's not my problem if that idiot catches a cold," he told himself.

Sasuke lay under the covers tried to forget about Naruto and go to sleep. Every so often Sasuke thought he heard Naruto shivering, but when he looked he saw his roommate with his face buried into the pillow. "Don't be silly, they're watching your every move," he reminded himself, he was suddenly more aware of the cameras. "If they see you showing him any kindness they'll think you're weak," Sasuke told himself turning over and shutting his eyes willing for sleep to come. It took Sasuke ages to fall asleep when he did his dream were once again troubled.

* * *

 **Thank for reading everyone I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, once again sorry for the late upload it took me ages to get the beginning right. I know not much happened in this chapter but I promise I'm going to make up for that in the next chapter.**


	12. Reaching out

**Hey, everyone, I can't thank you all enough for following and adding this story to your favourites, it really brightened my day.**

 **Before we start I would like to give a big shout out to the guest review. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to review. I really appreciate your feedback. As for a few of your questions Sasuke and Naruto's virginity I'll be answering one of those questions in this chapter.**

 **Warning: First part of the chapter has a death scene and mentions of self-harm. (Just in case)**

* * *

 **Reaching Out**

The small room was so still and quite. Even when two officers lead Naruto handcuffed into the death chamber.

While family members began to weep, Sasuke didn't take his eyes off his former roommate. "It's almost ironic that he's wearing orange, how do you like the colour now?" The teenager's amusement didn't last long, Sasuke swallowed hard when he stared into the empty azure eyes. A few people in the room began shouting some sobbed.

Naruto offered up little resistance when he was restrained to the gurney. Naruto didn't even wince when the two IV lines were inserted into his arms. From where Sasuke sat he could see them inject the first drug into his suspect's arm. Sasuke noticed Naruto was looking straight at him. "Why is he looking at me like that?" He wondered. "Just hurry up and fall asleep already." It took only seconds for Naruto feel the effects of the powerful sedative. Moments after the blond shut his eyes his tense body, slumped and relaxed on the gurney.

At last Sasuke let out the breath he'd been holding. "At least that's over," he thought to himself. Unlike most of the spectators in the room, Sasuke knew what steps would come next. "Any second now they'll administer two more injections," he told himself. "The next injection will cause muscle paralysis and respiratory arrest. The last one will stop his heart." From Sasuke heard someone grunt, when he turned he saw both Kabuto and Orochimaru sitting next to him. The man looked years younger. The dark circles under his eyes were gone, his long black hair looked clean and healthy again. "When did these two get here?" He wondered.

As Sasuke pondered this question, the teen noticed that both detectives seemed displeased. Orochimaru leant towards Kabuto and whispered to his partner. "It doesn't seem very fair that murders are given a painless death." He murmured.

Kabuto nodded in an agreement. "Yes, it's almost disappointing," he agreed.

Unlike his mentor, Sasuke took no pleasure from watching this, while Kiba's family stared at him in anger. Somehow Sasuke could feel Naruto's despair. "It's all so pointless."

When Sasuke looked back into the room, Naruto started to jerk on the table. Everyone could hear the blond choking for air and fight against his restraints. "Something's gone wrong, he shouldn't even be conscious," he realised. The two guards that escorted Naruto into the room frantically tried to fix the IV line. Before Naruto's eyes were empty now when he stared into those deep pools Sasuke saw fear and pain.

Sasuke's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the horrifying ordeal unfold.

From behind him, Sasuke heard what sounded like a chuckle. "Oh please don't tell me." He begged and prayed he'd imagined the cold laugh, but when Sasuke turned his fears were confirmed when he saw Orochimaru smiling. While everyone looked on in horror and confusion, the detective wasn't even trying to hide his enjoyment. "It can't be, how can he stand by and watch Naruto suffer like this?" Sasuke questioned. he didn't want to some scared child in front of his idol.

For the first Orochimaru averted his gaze from Naruto. "Just look Sasuke, thanks to you justice has been served," he praised.

Immediately after Orochimaru's claim, Sasuke began shaking his head. "No, No, No I didn't want this?" he yelled.

The blood vessels in Naruto's eyes had burst turning his vibrant blue eyes red. A trickle of red froth started to leak from the boy's mouth.

* * *

By now Sasuke was used to the feeling, From the moment Sasuke opened his eyes he started counting until he got his breathing under control. Just recently, he found himself relying on his breathing exercises more and more. Sasuke rubbed his eyes tiredly and turned on the lamp. Nothing in the room seemed out of place and yet Sasuke felt uneasy.

"Maybe I made a mistake Sasuke's closed his eyes for a second when the teenager finally realised what was missing. "It's way too quiet in here," the teen realised. No matter what time of night Sasuke woke up he'd always hear Naruto's thunderous snoring. At first, the teenager wondered if Naruto was even in the room, but turned to face the other bed he saw Naruto lying under the covers. He was too still and quiet. "What's wrong with that idiot, usually he's a lot more restless at night," he noted.

Sasuke wasn't sure how long he lay there waiting for his suspect to move. As the seconds turned into minutes without an even the slightest twitch, the Uchiha slowly approached the other bed. Using his index finger, Sasuke poked his sleeping roommate hoping would make Naruto moan or turn over. When Naruto didn't even flinch after the teenager could feel his heart slamming inside his ribcage.

"Oi, wake up," Sasuke called, this time the boy didn't care if Naruto woke up."That should definitely have woken him up, what's wrong with him?" All Sasuke started shaking the blond. "Naruto wake up!" He yelled.

Just as Sasuke pressed the first digit Naruto's eyes fluttered open. "Sasu, what's wrong?" The sleepy blond asked groggily.

While his clueless roommate stared at him without care in the world Sasuke spotted what looked like a plaster on the bridge of Naruto's nose. "A nasal strip that's why I couldn't hear him snoring?"

A normal person might have laughed with relief, but after suffering two panic attacks in one night, Sasuke's patience had run out. "What's wrong, what's wrong?" he seethed. "I've been standing here trying to wake you up for the last few minutes. When you didn't move I thought you were de..." Sasuke found he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "Forget it, breathe deeper next time." Now that he knew Naruto was alive and well, Sasuke returned to his bed before Naruto's half conscious brain could process what happened.

For the second time that night, Sasuke pulled the covers over himself and tried to sleep, but once again his mind refused to shut down. Sasuke grimaced when he pictured the smug look on Kabuto's face. There were at least a dozen different ways he could have checked on Naruto without making a fool of himself. "If I'd just stayed calm then I could have used a mirror," Sasuke told himself. This should have been Sasuke's main concern, but that fear was drowned out by something else. "If he's still awake I'll ask him?" Sasuke reasoned. Once again the Uchiha rolled over to face Naruto's side of the room he could tell from the teen's breathing he was still awake.

"Naruto are you awake?" He asked.

Sasuke heard the teenager groan before he answered. "What is it this time, oh wait don't tell me I'm breathing too loud now?" Naruto guessed.

"Who's Sasu?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto blinked at him for a moment before answering. "What are you..." Sasuke had the pleasure of watching the blond's eyes widened while his face turned crimson. In a blink of an eye Naruto turned his back on the Uchiha. "Will...you please... just go back to sleep." The blond stammered pulling the covers tightly around himself.

* * *

After weeks of planning, the school trip was only hours away. While Kakashi wasn't showing it, he too was excited to revisit the old training ground.

"We're expecting it to rain tonight and tomorrow so don't forget to pack your waterproofs." The instructor warned. Kakashi had spent the last two years teaching by now he'd been around teenagers long enough to know most of them weren't paying attention to him. It hadn't escaped Kakashi's attention that some of his students weren't paying attention more noticeably a certain blond looked half asleep in his class. "I wonder how long Naruto's going to stay awake this time."

At the front of the class, Naruto yawned for what might have been the twentieth time in that lesson. "

Try as he might Naruto's eyes were becoming heavier the longer he stared at the board. Kakashi smooth voice wasn't helping him stay awake. "Damn I swear Kakashi speaks like that on purpose." Determined to stay awake Naruto shook his head trying to wake himself up.

For the past few weeks, Naruto was woken up by Sasuke waking up from a bad dream. Sometimes he'd be woken up three or four times by his roommate's distressed cries. No matter how many times Sasuke woke him from the blond longed to comfort him. "Maybe Sasuke's having nightmares about the attack," he thought. "But if that's the case, what can I do to help?" He thought tiredly.

While Naruto could barely keep his eyes open in class, Sasuke wasn't showing even the slightest hint of sleep deprivation. Not even a single lock of his raven hair stood out of place. Despite his exhaustion, Naruto couldn't help but eye Sasuke with envy. "How does he do that, Sasuke must be just as tired as me but he still looks just as handsome?"

Sasuke's looks weren't the only thing distracting the teen. "Last night was different, I've never seen Sasuke act like that before." While Naruto's sleep deprived brain tried woke up, he'd accidentally called Sasuke by his nickname. The exhausted teenager didn't even realise what he'd said until Sasuke questioned him about it. "After last what I said last night I'm surprised Sasuke hasn't brought it up again," he thought. If his actions last night had bothered Sasuke he wasn't showing it.

When Naruto turned his attention back to the board he saw most of it was covered in writing. "What I only turned my back for a minute, I have no idea what page we're on. Damn you Sasuke and your handsomeness." The teen barely wrote down half of the notes when Kakashi started cleaning the board. Naruto slumped in his chair as he watched his instructor wipe out the diagrams. "There's no way I can catch up now," he sighed sadly.

Just as Naruto was about to admit defeat, something unexpected happened. Sasuke pushed his notebook towards the blond. At first, the teenager couldn't understand what his rival was up to then it hit him. "Is Sasuke letting me copy his notes?" Once it was clear what his roommate's intentions were Naruto couldn't believe what he was happening, Sasuke Uchiha was letting him copy. "Ok, that's it I must be dreaming," he reasoned. Thanks to Sasuke's notes Naruto caught up with the class in no time.

Another shock came his way when Sasuke slipped him a piece of paper. Naruto gave the teen a raised an eyebrow. Sasuke mouthed open it.

"Now he's passing notes in class, maybe Iruka was right when he said I'm a bad influence," the orange-clad thought. Naruto tried not to laugh at his roommate's lack of experience. "From the way Sasuke passed that note, I doubt he's done this before." Naruto waited until Kakashi turned his back until he carefully unfolded the note. "Neat as always," he smiled.

 _Since when did you start wearing nasal strips at night?_

Unlike Sasuke, Naruto was an expert in the art of passing messages in class. Between himself Kiba, Shimakru and Choji they could spend an entire lesson have a conversation without being detected. "Good thing we're not in Iruka's class, I swear that guy has eyes in the back of his head." Before Naruto wrote back he waited until a student asked Kakashi a question.

 _You said my snoring kept you up at night, I would hate to come between you and your beauty sleep._

Without making the slightest sound Naruto passed the note back to Sasuke never taking his eyes off the board. From the corner of his eye Naruto saw the Uchiha's mouth curve into a smile. After a frantic scribble, Sasuke handed the piece of paper back. "What the hell this guy doing? There's no way Kakashi didn't see that," he panicked.

 _Neji text me this morning about the dinner reservations. It's that new place that just opened it's called the Le Bernardin do you know it?_

Even with all his years of experience at passing notes, Naruto almost cried out when he saw the name of the restaurant. "That place is fancy as hell not to mention expensive." He thought. This time the teen was a little careless when he responded.

 _Yeah, I know it, but can your friend afford to pay for all that?_

Naruto heard Sasuke let out a loud sigh.

 _Never mind about the money, just make sure you clean up a bit. I'll meet you there I have to go to my house to pick up a few things for tomorrow and don't be late._

Kakashi put down his book to dismiss his class. "Ok class that's all today, now make sure you all get a good night sleep and don't be late to coaches." he finished.

Naruto couldn't stop himself from laughing at his instructor's hypocrisy. "As long as you don't get lost on the path of life again sensei." He teased.

Most teachers would have scolded the student for his rudeness but Kakashi's laid back attitude Kakashi actually smiled at him. "Ah, I can't promise that Naruto, the path of life has many twists and turns." He said. "Oh and one more thing before you leave, tell your accomplice that the next time he wants to pass secret messages in my class, use a pencil not only does it rub out but it's also quieter."

Naruto winced. "So he did notice, it's not my fault Sasuke's an amateur." The blond couldn't just walk out the class with his pride wounded. "Hey Sensei,"

"Yeah,"

"Jiraiya wanted me to let you know that he's almost finished writing his new book," Just like every student in the school, everyone knew about their teachers love for adult literature. "Now that I think of it, he let me have a sneak peek awhile back." He saw Kakashi's eye widen with horror. "At the end of the book..." Kakashi cut him off before the blond could finish the sentence.

"No, don't you dare tell me!" Kakashi yelled covering his ears.

The teenager smiled at his teacher's misery. "Be on time or I'll put it up everywhere," he promised. Naruto fled before his teacher could grab him. "Luckily for Kakashi-Sensei, I couldn't even get past the first chapter." He was still smiling all the way back to his room.

* * *

Sasuke ended up sitting in his car a lot longer than he originally planned. he'd been sitting outside the house for almost an hour debating whether or not he should go inside. Nether sibling had spoken since the incident in the restaurant. "There's nothing to worry about," he told himself. "Itachi's at the office today and Izumi's probably too busy planning her precious wedding." He thought darkly.

At last Sasuke walked out the car and walked up to his front door. As he went to put the key into the lock he hesitated. When the key and it slotted into place without resistance. "Looks like Itachi didn't change the locks after all," he noted. The Uchiha barely took two steps into the house when he heard a familiar voice call from the kitchen.

"Itachi is that you, is everything alright?" She froze when she saw Sasuke at the door.

Neither one looked like they wanted to be there. "Sorry to disappoint you, don't worry I'm not stopping, I just came to pick up a few things and then I'll be out of your hair." He promised. When his brother's fiance didn't move to stop him, Sasuke walked up the stairs and into his bedroom. The place looked exactly the same as he left it the day he moved out. The book he'd been reading still lay open on the same page, his bed was neatly made.

Before "The sooner I get out of here the better," he told himself. The last thing on his list. He walked into his cupboard and pulled out his tuxedo. Like everything else in the wardrobe it was neatly pressed the day he collected it from the dry cleaners.

With everything collected Sasuke went downstairs and headed straight for the door but a sharp voice stopped him.

"Sasuke please wait," Izumi begged.

Sasuke let out a sigh when he heard her voice. "I knew it was too good to be true, I'll bet she'd been waiting to gloat for weeks." When Sasuke turned to face his nemesis he expected to see the woman smiling like the wicked step mother, but around to see Izumi sitting on the chair. She wasn't smiling or crying like he thought she would. She looked exhausted.

"You and I have never seen eye to eye and I doubt we'll ever will, but you and I do have one thing in common. We both love your brother." She said. "I know you don't believe it, but I love Itachi more than anything. I've loved him ever since I first laid eyes on him at school. It took Itachi awhile to notice me at first, I know he loves, me but the one thing he loves more than anything is you." She stated, "even when we were kids he was always talking about his little brother. On our first date, he stood me up because you came down with the flu."

"What do you want from me?" Sasuke spat. "Haven't you done enough?" He demanded.

"Nothing, I just want you to talk to Itachi. It's killing him not seeing you, he's been going out of his mind for days." She recalled.

Sasuke laughed sceptically at the statement. "Really?" He accused "If Itachi misses me that much why he hasn't called me." He pointed out.

Izumi flinched at the question. "After what happened the last time you spoke, Itachi doesn't know what to say to you," she explained.

An awkward silence fell between the pair. Izumi noticed his dinner jacket in his hands. "Are you going to dinner with someone?" She asked.

Sasuke came up with an answer. "Hn, just going out with a few friends," he replied. He didn't think it was a good idea to mention he was meeting with Neji. "If I told her the truth she'd just go running to Itachi." He reasoned.

"Well enjoy your evening and take care on your school trip." She said at last.

Before his brothers' finace could pry anymore Sasuke walked out the door.

Sasuke didn't drive off, something that Izumi said rang a bell. "No, she couldn't possibly be talking about that day," he told himself.

Of course, when Sasuke was younger Itachi often took care of him when he was sick. On one particular day, his father was supposed to take him to school. Sasuke always looked forward to spending with his father even if it was just a few minutes, but that morning something felt different. The seven-year-old felt tired and achy. Perhaps his father might not have let him go to school when he noticed his son barely touched his breakfast.

Fukga picked up his phone Sasuke threw away the rest of his untouched cereal. "Sasuke, Itachi was about your age when I let him walk home on his own," he said. "You know the rules don't you."

"Don't talk to strangers, look both ways before crossing the road." Sasuke resisted.

"I'll be busy today, so I'm trusting you to walk yourself home today."

As the day progressed Sasuke began to feel worse, his schoolbag felt like it weighed a tonne. But the hope that his father might actually notice spurred Sasuke on. "Father will finally notice me, for once and not Itachi," he prayed. At last Sasuke made it home the boy could hardly walk. Sasuke dragged himself up the stairs and walked passed brothers' room Sasuke saw he was dressed in a shirt and jeans.

Itachi glanced away from the mirror and smiled. "Oh hey there Sasuke how was school?" Itachi's smile turned into a frown when he laid eyes on him. The older brother knelt down until he was standing eye level with his sibling. Itachi placed his hand on Sasuke's forehead and jumped back. "Sasuke you're sick, why didn't the school call mother or father," he demanded, taking his phone out of his pocket.

Sasuke weakly grabbed the phone before his brother could press the first number. "No you can't, dad said he was busy today and not to bother him," Sasuke mumbled quietly. "It's ok I know the way home." He defended.

Itachi's onyx eyes widened. "You walked home by yourself!" His older brother exclaimed. Sasuke gave a weak nod to the question.

Itachi gently scooped his sickly brother into his arms and carried him to the bed. "Lie still, I'll be back in a minute," Itachi promised. Sasuke tried to stay awake was already half asleep when he felt something cool was placed on his head. "Nisan," he rasped quietly. Calling out to his older robbed the last of Sasuke's strength.

"How long was I asleep?" Sasuke's aching muscles screamed when he rolled over to look at the clock. when he spotted something green next to him. "Roary," Sasuke couldn't recall grabbing his dinosaur plush, he nuzzled the soft toy affectionately. With his favourite toy by his side, Sasuke began to drift off again when he heard raised voices.

"Where have you been, I've been trying to call you for hours?"

"That sounds like Itachi."

Sasuke's curiosity spurred him on and he ignored his pain and pulled himself out of the bed. Dizziness threatened to stop his plan but he used the door to steady himself. Once the dizzy spell passed, Sasuke carefully opened the door just enough to see who was talking. Just as the teen suspected his brother and his father standing on the landing. "Father looks tired if he finds out I'm sick he'll be disappointed in me again." He winced.

Fukga rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Itachi, you know I can't come home every time there's a little problem." He pointed out.

His father's lack of concern sent the twelve-year-old over the edge. "What could be more important than your sick son!" Unaccustomed to Itachi's loud voice Sasuke covered his ears. The seven-year-old never heard his brother shout at anyone let alone his father. "My little brother walked a mile with a fever by himself, anything could have happened to him." Itachi scolded. "If you couldn't pick Sasuke up from school you should have phoned me."

Before the argument could escalate any further Sasuke stumbled onto the landing. "Ni-San, I'm not a baby I can walk home from school by myself." To prove his point, Sasuke tried to stand up tall but lost his balance. Before he hit the ground a pair of hands steadied him. When Sasuke recovered he saw it was Itachi who'd caught him in time.

His brother's eyes softened as he picked him up. "Forgive me Sasuke, I didn't mean to wake you. How about you sleep next to me tonight?" He offered. As much as Sasuke wanted to prove to his brother he could be independent the promise of a warm bed and comfort was too tempting. Sasuke snuggled into his brother's neck.

His brother laughed at his sibling's adorable affection. "I'll take that as a yes shall I?" Itachi joked.

"Itachi I...didn't know Sasuke was sick, he didn't tell me." Sasuke caught a glimpse of his father's disappointed face.

Itachi's soft demeanour changed in an instant. "How dare you...how dare you to try and blame a seven-year-old for your incompetence." Itachi snapped. When he felt Sasuke flinch in his arms the older sibling tightened his grip to reassure his brother.

As Itachi put him back into bed, Sasuke noticed Itachi was still wearing his smart clothes from before. "Why were you dressed up like that, were you going to meet someone?" Sasuke asked timidly. The Uchiha felt bad he'd ruined his brother's plans. "Sorry I didn't mean to ruin everything." He apologised.

Itachi used his thumb to wipe away Sasuke's tears. "It's ok, I can always go out with my friends another time." He reassured,

Sasuke leant into his brother's chest for relief from the heat before he fell asleep Sasuke wanted to get something off his chest. "It wasn't father's fault, I didn't tell him I felt ill." he mumbled.

Sasuke's childhood memories continued to plague him even as he made his way the restaurant a few hours later. Just when Sasuke thought he'd finally escaped from his past, more memories rose to the surface. This time Sasuke could vividly recall every dinner he'd attended with his family. The warm smile his mother had given him the first time he wore a tuxedo, his father's approving nod whenever he remembered his manners and all the times Sasuke fallen asleep in the car his brother dutifully carried him to bed and tucked him in.

"No not now, I need to focus or I'll miss something," he told himself.

Sasuke began to question his former lovers choice. "Maybe I should have convinced Neji to pick a different restaurant. There's no telling what trouble Naruto will do in here." Sasuke spotted a number of dignitaries spread all over the restaurant. Sasuke's unease turned to joy when he saw Neji sitting at the table.

"Will our other guest be joining us soon?" Neji inquired.

"I offered him a lift but said he'd make his own way here," Sasuke explained.

"You seem tense this evening, is everything alright?" Neji asked.

"How does Neji do that?" He wondered. As much as Sasuke wanted to confined in Neji he restrained himself. "It's nothing, we better start odering while we wait for Naruto to show up." He said as he read the menu. After glancing at the courses and picking his meal Sasuke realised Neji was still looking at him. "What is it?"

Neji smiled warmly at him. "I was just wondering what the bathrooms are like in here." That comment nearly made Sasuke choke on his drink. "You know if the dinner bores you we could always sneak off." He purred. During one of their passionate moments, they'd snuck off to the bathroom together. While Izumi reamined oblivious, Itachi spent the rest of the evening glaring at Neji.

When Neji looked up his mouth was open and staring into the distance. What Sasuke saw almost made his leap out of his seat. "This can't possibly be Naruto." He thought to himself. Naruto was dressed in a simple black tux with his blond locks combed back neatly. The bright lights made his azure eyes looked even more dazzling. If Sasuke hadn't seen the amazing transformation with his own eyes he wouldn't have believed it.

"Is there something wrong?" Naruto asked.

Although Naruto was doing a good job hiding it, Sasuke could feel his suspect's unease. "That idiot, he looks like a looks a rabbit in the headlights," he thought. Sasuke found himself feeling sorry for him. "Relax you look fine, except for one thing." Without warning, Sasuke ruffled Naruto's tidy hair until it was all spiked up again. "There that's much better."

"What are you doing, do you have any idea how long it took me to get my hair to stay down?" Naruto cried as he desperately tried to flatten his unruly hair without success.

"Don't show them fear or they'll eat you alive," Sasuke warned.

* * *

The restaurant was everything Naruto imagined it would be which didn't lessen the blond's unease. To prepare himself for the evening, Naruto spent most of the afternoon watching videos about table etiquette. "Good thing I watched all those videos, I wonder if Sasuke will appreciate all the work I did." He wondered.

Even Sasuke seemed impressed that he'd known where the napkin went.

Both Sasuke and Naruto decided to stick water while Neji ordered himself a bottle of champagne. "Are you sure I can't tempt you both to have a glass?" The teen asked.

"Thanks but I can't, I want to look my best tomorrow," Naruto explained.

"That's a shame, well more for me," Neji, on the other hand, had no such obligation and was on his third wine glass by the time the first course arrived. While the menu didn't have ramen, Naruto settled on a simple fish dinner while both Neji and Sasuke had a salad. "This food looks like it belongs in an art museum," he exclaimed. "You know, I almost feel bad for eating it." It might have been a trick of the light, but Naruto swore he saw Sasuke smile.

The conversation flowed smoothly Neji talked about his phycology course Although Naruto had no clue what he was talking about most of the time. "And I thought my homework was hard, id I'd done his course I'd probably need a counsellor." He thought. "Hey, Sasuke what were you like at school?" He asked.

"Nothing much to tell," he answered.

"Stop being so modest Sasuke," Neji told him turning to Naruto. "Sasuke was an honour student." He boasted.

This information didn't surprise to Naruto. "That sounds about right, I can't say the same I just about scraped by at school," he admitted rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"You earned a scholarship isn't that right, they don't give those out to just anyone." Sasuke pointed out. "So Naruto, what made you want to be a cop."

"So Naruto, what made you want to be a cop?" Neji asked.

Naruto was taken aback by Neji sudden interest. "Oh yeah, these two know everything about each other," Naruto remembered. "It's nothing special really, My dad was a cop, ever since I was a little kid I always wanted to be like him." He answered. Naruto's mother often found her son sleeping by the door waiting for his father to come home. The shifts would be difficult at times but Naruto loved his father.

"That can't have been easy on your mother, what did she think of your career path?" Neji asked.

At times the blond missed his father but Naruto could recall nothing but happy memories with his mother. "No, actually my mum practically jumped for joy when I told her. She was always hoped I might go to Kohana that's where she met my dad." He told them noticing the look of surprise on Sasuke's face.

"I'll bet they're so proud of you." Neji assumed.

Naruto's smile dropped a little. "Yeah they would be, I hope," he murmured. When Naruto looked up he saw both his roommate and Neji were giving him an odd look. "Oh sorry, they died when I was small." He revealed.

Neji swallowed hard. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," he apologised.

Naruto gave Neji a small smile, by now the blond as used to this. Whenever the difficult subject came up, there would always be apologies followed by an awkward silence. As the years went by, Naruto learned how to deal with these situations. "No it's alright, my godfather took me in. He's pretty awesome." While describing his guardian, it occurred to the blond that he couldn't remember the last time he spoke to his godfather. "Maybe I should call him when I get home," he thought to himself.

Right on cue, Neji quickly changed the subject. "To protect and to serve, not many people realise what that means. The life of a cop is a dangerous one, it's always good to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong." He stated.

Not a day went by that a teacher didn't tell the class to keep their options open. But unlike the rest of his peers, Naruto knew exactly what he wanted to do. "I've already gotten that figured out, one day I'm going to become the next headmaster at the University." He revealed. Over the years, many people laughed at the teenager's ambition, but to Naruto's surprise and disbelief it wasn't Sasuke laughing at him.

"Oh sorry, I thought you were joking." It still took Neji a minute to regain his composer.

Naruto clenched his fists to hold back his anger. "Just let it go, don't make a fool of yourself now, not in front of Sasuke," he told himself. just couldn't help himself. "What's so funny about that?" Naruto asked. "After Saratobi-Samma retired he went into teaching," he pointed out gently.

The teenager shot Naruto a cold look. "Before Hiruzen became the headmaster, he was a world class officer with an unblemished record. Tobirama Senju chose him to be his successor. The headmaster has seen a lot in his time and do you know who Saratobi's trained under?" He asked with a hint of mockery.

In class Naruto hardly ever raised his hand unless to crack a joke or provoke Iruka-Sensei. The blond had never wanted to answer a question so badly in his life. "Hiruzen Saratobi trained under Hashirama Senju who later became one of the founders of the university. A few years later Hashirama was made the first headmaster. After his death, his brother, Tobirama Senju, took over as headmaster, when he retired he appointed Hiruzen Saratobi became the third headmaster."

Neither Sasuke or Neji spoke.

"Don't underestimate me, one day you'll see my picture hanging next to all the headmaster's before me," he declared. Naruto growled. Naruto took out his wallet and threw a few notes on the table, before storming out of the restaurant.

* * *

Sasuke eyed Neji carefully. " so much about the university's history."

Neji wasn't fooled through his hands up in the air. "I think I upset him a little," He said at last.

Neji's cold remark stopped Sasuke in his tracks. Like always Naruto's dream job surprised him Sasuke shook this thought for his head. "No it's fine he'll forget about it tomorrow?" Sasuke said gently. "You really don't think Naruto has what it takes?" He asked. The Uchiha already suspected he already knew why but the teen wanted to hear his former lover say it.

Neji took another sip from his wine glass before he answered. "This is only the second time I've met Naruto, but I've heard rumours about your classmate," he began. "Let's just say he's not known for his school work, he probably decided to become a cop to please his family." He suspected. "I noticed our guest avoided talking about his childhood. Considering what I've already seen and heard, I bet he was the trouble maker at school." Neji took a deep breath before he continued." I've never understood why the headmaster allows dreamers like him to attend the university in the first place."

"I see," As harsh as Neji sounded, Sasuke could see his point. "Even though Naruto looked the part, he stuck out like a sore thumb tonight." While most children enjoyed eating at fast food restaurants without a care in the world, Sasuke spent his childhood learning table etiquette. Whenever someone important came to the house everyone needed to look their best. "Why let someone pursue a goal when they never stood a chance in the first place?" He thought.

The phycology student grabbed Sasuke's hand. "If you're worried about going back to yours, you can come stay in my room tonight," he offered.

If it wasn't for his case Sasuke might have tried to rekindle their bond, but one look into Neji's eyes Sasuke saw Itachi's staring at him. "No, I can't, not tonight. My teacher's planned some team building exercise for us all tomorrow." He saw the hurt look in Neji's eyes. "Sorry, if things had gone differently then maybe..."

Neji pressed his finger against Sasuke's soft lips. "It's alright, I don't blame you," he reassured. "If this is something you want, then maybe you should consider my offer again, if you lived with me, you wouldn't have to worry about your brother's opinion," Neji pointed out.

Whenever Sasuke even considered leaving his brother, he'd this time Sasuke his brother watching over him all night. "Let's get graduation out of the way first, then we'll talk about it." Sasuke's chest fluttered when he saw Neji's smile.

While Sasuke was touched by the kind offer, it seemed a little strange for Neji to ask him again, then an idea struck him."Wait, you're not jealous of Naruto are you?" Sasuke teased.

Neji stared at him bewildered. "You know I wouldn't lower myself like that," he denied. "However I couldn't help but notice that you couldn't take your eyes off our guest ever since he walked into the restaurant."

Blood travelled to Sasuke's face until his face resembled a beetroot. "It wasn't like that, I just didn't expect him to make such an effort," The tightness in his chest only increased. "What's wrong with me, I'm so hot all of a sudden?" Sasuke clenched his fists until the strange feeling passed. Sasuke went back over the last weeks trying to pinpoint exactly when things went wrong. "Just when did Neji to come to that conclusion?" He'd never considered the possibility that Neji could uncover his secret.

"I need to get back,"

During the short drive back, to the University, the light shower had turned into a downpour. As Sasuke drove up to the front gate the Uchiha remembered that Naruto had walked home. "I wonder if Naruto's back by now." Sasuke forced his concern from his thoughts. "That idiot better not catch a cold. I don't want to step on all his disgusting tissues." Sasuke parked his car trying not to think about Naruto in the rain.

Just as the teen ran towards his dorm, Sasuke spotted something tied to the railings. Up until a few weeks ago, the spot had been a temporary memorial for Kiba. "No one's put anything there for weeks, who'd be leave something there now?" Curious, the teenager went to investigate. Sure enough, someone had left a fresh bouquet tied to the railings.

The card read; _Sorry I let you down._

While Sasuke wasn't an expert in handwriting there was no mistaking who had left the note. "That's defiantly Naruto's handwriting, maybe that's why he was late for dinner." Before he could think about Naruto's motivations anymore, Sasuke pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the card before the writing was washed away by the rain water. "But why now, it's been months he doesn't even keep a picture of Kiba on his desk."

A clap of thunder above his head reminded Sasuke it was raining and his clothes were already soaked through. Sasuke made a dash for his dormitory after an eventful evening, Sasuke longed for his warm bed. Strangely enough, Sasuke also longed to see his roommate. "I'll bet he's up there now making himself a pot of ramen," he guessed.

Just when the teenager's dorm came into view, Sasuke caught a glimpse of someone leaving the building. "Who's crazy enough to risk being out in this downpour?" He thought.

The heavy downpour made it difficult to identify the person at first, but when Sasuke strained his eyes he noticed the orange hoodie. "Naruto, what's he doing at this time of night?" He wondered. This time there was nothing to stop Sasuke from following his suspect. "So that's where he's been going," he realised.

Naruto took the ramen cup in his other hand while he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key and ran inside. "How did he get that, only instructors are allowed keys to the gym?" Sasuke waited a few seconds before he followed him, to Sasuke's relief the door opened. "Good thing Naruto's too stupid to lock the door behind him." He smirked.

Naruto took off the hoodie and put it in the corner. His arms were toned. Sasuke covered his mouth to muffle his gasping. Even in the gloom, Sasuke could see his bulging muscles. Never in the Uchiha's wildest dreams did he think Naruto was hiding such a physique under those baggy clothes. "It must have taken Naruto months, no years to get to that level of fitness." He deduced.

More shocks were to come when Naruto stepped into the light. "What the fuck!" From his hiding place, Sasuke could see the marks all over the orange clad's chest.

For months Sasuke wondered why Naruto wore so many layers. After so many failed attempts to catch Naruto he'd all but given up uncovering the truth. Now that Sasuke uncovered his roommate's secret the teen wished he could go into his mind and erase the gruesome image. Sasuke couldn't even handle a paper cut without feeling sick, he didn't even begin to imagine why anyone would deliberately to cut themselves. Just thinking about it made the teenager nauseous.

Sasuke shook his head. "It's not important right now," he told himself. "Even though that usuratonkachi ruined dinner, I've learned more about him in one night than I have since I got involved in this case." Sasuke didn't know how it happened, but Naruto had let his guard down and showed his true colours. For the first time Sasuke had seen the anger in Naruto's eyes. "If I hadn't been there tonight who knows what he would have done to Neji."

Whilst Sasuke remembered all this new information his thoughts always led back to the scars. "Just how long has he been hurting himself?" The teen wondered. "Did the self-harming start before or after Kiba's death?" With so many questions bouncing around in Sasuke 's head, the teen wished he'd stayed a little longer. "It's was too dark to see how fresh those wounds were, maybe if I'd moved to a different position then maybe I could have...," when a horrible thought crossed his mind. "Damn it I should have taken pictures." In his anger, Sasuke slammed his fist on the table. The force of the impact knocked something on the floor.

As Sasuke went to pick it up, he realised it was a wallet. "Is this Naruto's?" Forcing down his apprehension, Sasuke opened old wallet.

Everything he expected to find, a coupon for ramen, an ID card and few crumpled up notes. As Sasuke inspected the wallet he found an old photo inside one of the pockets. Sasuke's hands began to shake when he studied the photograph the tall man blond man standing next to Naruto. The picture showed a much younger Naruto cuddling a stuffed fox. Standing next to the young blond were two adults. Unlike the photo Naruto kept on his the desk, Sasuke could see that Naruto got his smile from the slender woman with red hair.

But it was the tall blond man with the same blue eyes that interested Sasuke the most. "No, that's impossible it can't possibly be him," the teen told himself. But he'd seen that face many times before inside the headmasters' office.

At the start of the investigation, Sasuke wondered if Naruto had been connected to any other unsolved murders. But when Sasuke typed Naruto's name into the search engine and came away empty handed. But as the Uchiha frantically typed Minato Namikaze's name, something inside Sasuke told him he would get results this time. Just as he thought he got dozens of hits.

Sasuke could have spent hours reading about the man. The first website he clicked on covered most of the man's life. He sighed when saw the amount of text. "This is getting me nowhere, at this rate, it will take me hours to read all this." He told himself. After a few minutes, Sasuke found the news article he'd been looking for. Unlike the previous website, Sasuke took his time reading the old news clipping. More shocks were to come when he saw the white haired man again. "Jiraiya is Naruto's guardian." He exclaimed.

 **Hero cop dies with wife in Horror Smash**

 _Minato Namikaze and his devoted wife Kushina tragically died when they lost control of their car, it is believed that both parents died instantly. Their seven-year-old son, who was also injured in the accident, was rescued and rushed to the hospital and remains in critical condition, but is expected to make a full recovery. He is being taken care of by relatives._

"How could I not know who Naruto's parents were?" He asked himself. "Why would Naruto change his last name?"

Sasuke popped the two sleeping pills into his mouth and swallowed them dry. "That should keep those damn nightmares at bay, once I clear my head I'll finally be able to make sense of this in the morning." Sasuke when he's eyes already began to feel heavy got comfortable when he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Sasuke crawled out from under the blanket. Out of habit, the teen glanced the window. A grey cloudy sky greeted him. "Looks like it's going to rain again," he sighed. A soft snore caught Sasuke's attention towards the bed. Naruto asleep sprawled out on top of the sheets still wearing his gym clothes. "At least I can hear him breathing this time," he mused. "That explains why he can't stay awake in class."

"Sorry Neji, but you've got it wrong this time," his thought made Sasuke chuckle a little.

Even though they had an hour to get ready, Sasuke wasn't taking any chances. The Uchiha gave Naruto a gentle shake. "Hey Naruto, come on we need to get ready." He said softly. Just like the night before, Naruto barely twitched at the movement and continued to sleep. "So much for the gentle approach, time to use more reasonable force." With a gentle shove, Naruto rolled off the bed with a loud crash. As the teen lay on the ground his shirt exposing his scars on his abdomen.

Luckily for Sasuke, Naruto was too busy waking up to notice his grim expression. "I'm starting to wonder if you have something against sleeping?" The blond grumbled.

"No, I don't," Sasuke answered the teenager didn't know what else to say to his roommate. "Hurry up and shower. At this rate Kakashi's going to get there before we do," he stated.

* * *

Kakashi saw his two students racing towards him. "Well this is a surprise, I don't think I've seen Sasuke late for class before," He joked.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, someone hadn't gone back to sleep," Sasuke apologised.

Naruto glared at his rival. "Wouldn't have fallen asleep if you didn't hog the bathroom," the teen defended.

"Save that youth for the obstacle courses." Guy stated.

"You two better get on the bus, I don't want to keep Guy waiting any longer." Kakashi advised. "Oh and Naruto I hope this means that you won't spoil my books for me." Kakashi winked.

Once on the coach, the pair found most of the seats had been taken. The only seats left were at the back sitting next to each other weeks ago the pair would have refused to breathe the same air as each other let alone sit together. But now it didn't feel as daunting as it used to.

Naruto just got comfortable when he noticed Choji was sitting right next to him. What surprised the orange-clad, even more, was seeing his gentle friend sitting with someone else. "Oi, Choji where's Shikamaru?" The teen asked.

Choji turned to face Naruto. "His mum called called last night, she's sprained her ankle and he's gone to take care of her," the boy explained.

Naruto didn't need to ask what was making his friend so glum. Kakashi had already told them that they'd be working in teams. Choji had never been good at sports even when they were kids. Whenever the class had to pick teams no one wanted to pick the slowest kid in school. "Hey don't look so down, when they pick teams I'll make sure to pick you first." Naruto promised.

Choji's face brightened at this. "Thanks, Naruto, do you think they'll be a fast food place?" he asked.

Sitting next to Naruto, Sasuke had already put his earphones to block everyone's mindless chatter. There were a number of new factors he needed to consider. "With a body like that, it wouldn't be difficult for Naruto to strangle Kiba," he reasoned. Sasuke could see the grizzly death unfold with his mind's eye. "They'd been drinking that night, did Naruto confess his feelings and fly into a rage when Kiba laughed at him?" "Until I can prove Naruto had feelings for Kiba."

Weeks had passed since he'd shared his theory with Orochimaru and yet he was still no closer to finding out the truth. There just never seemed to be the right moment to bring it up in a conversation. "There's no telling how he'll react if I mention Kiba." At worst the blond would never speak to him again, or worse his suspect could become suspicious and blow his cover.

Not a day went by when Sasuke didn't hear his classmate yell at someone in the corridors, but last night Sasuke saw something different in Naruto's eyes. "Once Naruto's provoked there's no stopping him, he barely restrained himself after Neji laughed at his dream." One-by-one Sasuke processed each and every factor. By the time the Uchiha completed his task his head felt much clearer. Even so, there were a few details that bothered Sasuke. "If only I knew what that last message Kiba left meant and why did Naruto save me that one time?" He thought.

Before Sasuke could think about it any longer the coach came to a sudden stop. The scenery had changed dramatically, Sasuke saw a forest that stretched for miles. "Kakashi wasn't kidding when he said this place was secretive." When Sasuke tried to sit up he noticed he was carrying extra weight. His onyx eyes widened when he saw a mop of blond hair leaning against his shoulder. "How long has he been sleeping on me?" He asked himself. "I didn't even feel Naruto lean into me." Learning from his past mistake Sasuke gave a gentle shake. "Oi, we're here." Instead of waking up, Naruto snuggled into the crook of his rival's neck. "Stop doing that," he ordered.

Naruto slowly lifted his head he looked just as embarrassed as he did. "S..orry, Sasuke. Are we there?" His voice groggy.

A huge lake that went on for miles.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading everyone hope you enjoyed this chapter please review.**


	13. Take Another Breath

**Hello everyone thanks you so much for all your reviews and feedback I really appreciate it. Thank you to everyone who follows and adds this story to your favourites you're just as valued.**

 **To the guest review Thank you so much for your feedback and insight I'd really love to tell you what I'm planning but it will spoil the surprise. When I get to it I promise I'll let you into a little secret.**

* * *

 **Take Another Breath**

Very few people could read Kakashi well enough to tell when something was on his mind. Anyone that looked across would see an open book on his lap and assume he was reading. A trained would have noticed the teacher hadn't turned the page once. Guy hadn't trained alongside any ANBU sensed a change in his eternal rival. Kakashi's silence wouldn't have been unusual, but Guy was one of the few people that could sense.

"Oi, Kakashi what troubles my eternal rival on such a day?" Guy asked.

Kakashi looked up from his book waved off his comrade's concern. "Nothing, I'm just hoping Iruka will be able to handle my dogs for me. Pakun may be a small dog, but you'd be surprised how much trouble he can get into." He answered.

Tears began streaming down his rivals' face. "Your bond that you share with your dogs never stops. Don't worry my rival, your precious dogs are in safe hands." He reassured.

Kakashi went back to staring at the same page trying to find the answer to a question that had been haunting him all morning.

Finding someone to watch over his dogs at short notice hadn't been easy. Working alongside Iruka long enough to read his mannerisms, and right now the man had something on his mind. "Kakashi, I know you and Guy will be busy, but if it's possible can you keep an eye on Naruto today. You know how he can be sometimes, just don't let him push himself." He asked.

Kakashi hadn't stopped thinking about Iruka's words ever since. "Iruka's always been protective of Naruto, he's probably worried Naruto's going to work himself into the ground." The instructor told himself his plausible theory didn't lessen the man's concern. "But why ask me, there were plenty of other people Iruka could have asked?" It had been years since the ex-special forces had felt this troubled. "They were all right when they said being a teacher came with its own challenges." He recalled.

At first, Kakashi turned down the offer when Saratobi first offered him a job teaching teenagers. After weeks of gentle coaxing and Guy pestering him around the clock, Kakashi relented and agreed to a three-month trial. Kakashi soon realised couldn't shut off his feelings. But as time passed, the man started learning new skills. Every time one of his students succeed at something his chest would well up with pride. Kakashi was proud to know he'd played a part of that.

"You know today is about improving our student's teamwork," he reminded gently. "Now's the time we can kick back and relax."

When Guy turned to face Kakashi his eyes full of fire and determination. "How can I sit by with so many new people to challenge?" He asked. "Don't worry you'll always be my eternal rival," Guy promised.

Kakashi smiled warmly under his mask. While the rest of staff often mocked Guy's over-enthusiastic approach to teaching, Kakashi envied his rivals positive outlook on life. The last year hadn't been easy for his rival. Kakashi found himself thinking about one student who couldn't be here today. Early one morning while walking his pack of canines, he saw not one but two Guy's jogging side by side. Thinking he'd just imagined the sight, Kakashi did check again only to find he was not mistaken.

A second glance the person running beside his rival was a little shorter than him. Not only did Lee have the same bushy eyebrows and hairstyle but the teenager was also wearing the same hideous green jumpsuit as Guy. Lee's tragic death hit everyone hard, but it broke Guy the most. As much as Kakashi respected his rival even he wasn't sure if Guy could bounce back from such a loss. "Lee would have probably joined you," he said.

Just when Kakashi thought he'd put his foot in it Guy smiled back at him. "Kakashi, even though Lee isn't here, my student's passion still burns within me." He declared. "I'm going to try even harder today in honour of my student." He vowed as he punched the air.

"Guy, you never fail to surprise me." Kakashi smiled. The coach came to an abrupt stop signalling they'd finally arrived.

* * *

Sasuke shared his classes just as impressed by the training ground. "Kakashi wasn't kidding about this place being secretive, you could walk for miles and never find this place." The picturesque scenery stirred up a lot of old family memories often took camping trips in the summer. It had been years since he'd slept under the stars and roasted marshmallows on an open fire. While Sasuke relived some of his childhood Memories his fingers started playing with his necklace.

"Why am I thinking about that now, no matter how much it won't bring them back." Sasuke heard a loud crash behind him. When the Uchiha turned he saw Naruto on the ground. Everyone around him laughed at the teenager's spectacular fall. "Typical," Sasuke wasn't taken in by that fake smile anymore not after seeing what was underneath that orange jumpsuit. "Just how long has Naruto been self-harming, is it somehow connected to Kiba's death?" He wondered. "And why did he leave a card last night, why now when Kiba's been dead for weeks?"

Instead of finding evidence Sasuke had only found questions to answer. "Apart from the sketchbook, I haven't found any more physical evidence linking him to either of the deaths." Sasuke thought back to all the times he'd been in the bathroom trying to recall if he'd seen any blood. "If there had been any traces in there I would have seen it. Besides if Naruto was still cutting I would have noticed, they'd be signs, right?. We spent most of the day together. There's no way anyone could hide that sort of thing." He thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke noticed Naruto continued to fidget all the way talked. "What's gotten into that idiot today, he's even more clumsy than usual?" He wondered.

A stern voice broke Sasuke's concentration. "Alright everyone gather around, my name's captain Yamato and I'll be your teacher for today."

Yamato was everything Sasuke pictured an ANBU to look like, stern, strong and a gaze that silenced even the noisiest classmate. "We've put together a series of tasks for you all to complete..." Before he'd even finished his sentence a number of hands flew into the sky. "I'll answer any questions after but before we go any further, I want all of you to hand in any phones or jewellery." Everyone started to groan as if the man had just ordered them to cut a limb off. Unlike their instructors, Yamato only had to glare at the crowd to silence them. "You'll all be too busy to check your messages and we don't want any of them getting broken. Your possessions will be handed back to you at the end of the day," He promised.

Even though Sasuke wouldn't even dream of disobeying the ANBU captain, he reluctantly put the necklace in the back his neck already felt naked without his mother's jewellery. Yamato went over all the rules. Sasuke gave Yamato his full attention until one particular ANBU caught the teenager's eye. "Shisui!" Sasuke couldn't stop himself from calling out to the family friend.

The familiar face went from stern to smiling in seconds. "Sasuke!" Shisui walked toward him. "Itachi didn't mention you were coming today." He laughed.

The very mention of Itachi grabbed everyone's full attention. All of Sasuke's classmates started gathering around Shisui hoping to learn more about the legendary prodigy. "Itachi Uchiha really trained here?" One of the students asked. "Is it true that he still holds the record?" Most of the class gawped at Shisui's revelation.

Sasuke just as a surprise as his classmates. Itachi refused to talk about his time with ANBU. No matter how hard Sasuke tried his brother, always dodged the topic by poking him on the forehead. "Sorry Sasuke, maybe next time," he'd say. Sasuke found himself touching his forehead. "It doesn't matter where I am the very second someone mentions, Itachi and I'm forgotten." He thought darkly. "Not today, this time I'm going to shine." He vowed. "I'll beat your precious record and make everyone see I am not to be underestimated."

During any physical activity, none of his class came close to matching him, except for one student that always made him push that little harder in a race. At first, Sasuke immediately rejected the idea. "No anyone but him, we already share a room, if we're seen together any more people will start talking," he reasoned denying the real reason he didn't want to team up with Naruto. Sasuke's thought kept coming back to what he saw that night. "He's the only person here who can keep up with me. Wait...I can't let Naruto think I need him, I'll never live it down." With his mind made up Sasuke swallowed as he approached Naruto.

* * *

While the rest of his classmates looked forward to their task and bombarded Yamato with questions, Naruto desperately wanted to get back on the bus and go home. "No one mentioned anything about a lake," the orange-clad's stomach turned to ice whenever he caught a glimpse of water. A horrifying possibility occurred to the teen. "What if they want us to swim?" He panicked. Naruto jumped when someone touched his shoulder, the blond's fear turned to relief when he saw Choji's smiling face.

"Oh hey Choji, did you want to be partners?" He greeted at last.

Choji shook his head. "I'd love too but, someone already asked me," he explained. "Have you picked your partner yet?" He asked.

Days like this brought back so many memories. "Right about now Kiba would start trying to find ways to show off to the girls." The blond scratched the back of his head to hide the fact his chest was aching. "No, not yet, good thing Shikamaru isn't here he'd probably start saying what drag and find somewhere to nap and stare at clouds." He joked.

"Yeah that sounds like Shikamaru," he laughed. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something, what it's like sharing a room with Sasuke?" He asked.

Naruto was a little surprised to see Choji taking an interest. "Sasuke's not as bad as I thought, but you wouldn't believe how clean he is. I swear that neat freak inspects the bathroom every time I use it." He complained. "One morning he lectured me for an hour because he found a hair in the sink. It wasn't even mine." He protested. "Oh and he hogs the bathroom." He added.

Choji chuckled at his friend's description. "Sakura will be disappointed to hear that. You know how much she loves to look her best."

It suddenly occurred to Naruto that no one else knew that Sasuke was gay. "I wonder if... Sasuke likes anyone," Just as the blond wondered he stopped himself. "What am I thinking Sasuke probably already has someone. I wonder if he's dating Neji." The thought of Sasuke dating depressed the blond he could feel chest tightened a little. "It makes perfect sense, Neji's smart and maybe's a little handsome. He's probably a better match for him." He thought sadly.

"Hey earth to Naruto, you were spaced out so long I ate a bag of chips." Choji boasted.

Naruto smiled back at Choji nervously, "My bad, I was so excited about today I couldn't sleep." He lied.

"Speaking of dreaming, I got a nice photo of you two together." The grin never left Choji's face.

It took Naruto awhile to understand the meaning behind Choji's words. Then the realisation hit the teen like a bolt of lightning. "Erm, Choji, please tell me you didn't take a picture of me sleeping earlier." The blond hoped and prayed that his friend had forgotten to bring his phone with him.

One look at Choji and Naruto knew his worst fears were confirmed. "I wonder what Sakura will say when I show her you cosying up to her future husband." Choji teased. "The last time we talked, she'd already picked out baby names for their kids."

Naruto knew Choji wouldn't upload the photo, his friend was far too kind-hearted to do that. It would only take one person to see the incriminating photo. This time every fangirl would be after the blond's blood. "No you wouldn't dare, please Choji you can never show that picture to anyone. It took months for everyone to forget the kiss. I'll buy you all the barbeque in the world just please delete the photo." He begged.

Only to see Sasuke standing behind him. "Could today get any worse?" The blond asked himself.

"Do you want to be my partner?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto stared at his roommate wondering if he'd heard correctly. "Wait...what's happening is Sasuke actually asking me to work with him?" A flock of butterflies had made themselves at home inside Naruto's stomach started flapping their wings at once. "Yeah...sure...I'll team up with you." Before they set off, Naruto wanted to say one last thing. "Oh about last night, I'm sorry I ruined dinner." He apologized.

"Forget about it, just go pick up the supplies while I get the map and then we can get ready to leave," Sasuke said walking off to collect his things.

"Sure I'll see you in a minute. Thanks, Choji, good luck today." He said hurrying off to get his things, along the way, Naruto frantically tried to recall anything that could help him. "I'm sure Kakashi told about survival training once or was that Iruka's class?" The frustrated teen cursed at himself for not paying attention in class. "Damn it I can't choke now, I won't look stupid in front of Sasuke again."

Choji stared at his friend in disbelief. There was no hiding that smile and flushed cheeks. "Could it be...oh Shikamaru why did you have to go to a family reunion?" he asked himself.

Once everyone had picked a partner and collected their things the teams set off. While some of them sprinted off, other teams argued which way they were supposed to go. Even though they were way ahead of the other teams, Sasuke refused to stop for anything. As frustrating as this could be at times, Naruto was a little impressed by his rivals determination. "I've never seen Sasuke so fired up before. Looks like he really wants to win this race." Naruto couldn't stop himself from smiling. "I may not be able to win his heart but I can help him win this race." the teen vowed.

As the duo pushed on Naruto occasionally checked to see if any of the other teams had caught up with them. Each time the blond couldn't see a single person behind them. When half an hour passed without seeing any of their classmates Naruto grew suspicious. "Are you sure you're reading that map right?" He questioned when the stopped again. Naruto tried to sneak a peak of the map but Sasuke he put it away again before he could see anything. "We should have seen someone by now." He pointed out.

"What's the matter, don't tell me you're tired already?" Sasuke accused.

"What no way!" Naruto annoyed with himself for falling for such an obvious taunt. "Are you sure you're ok, you haven't taken a break since we set off?" When he looked back only to see Sasuke was already walking down the hill. "It's weird seeing Sasuke wearing clothes like that, he looks so normal and handsome," he blushed a little. "Focus, there's no time to be thinking about him now." He told himself.

Until Naruto heard a sound, it was quiet at first, but as they followed the path towards the source of the sound it got louder. A small waterfall with a bridge with a river flowing underneath it. "Sasuke, let's pick a different path," Naruto suggested hoping Sasuke wouldn't be able to detect the fear in his voice. Sasuke grabbed his wrist and started pulling the reluctant blond towards the wooden structure. The reason for his heart rate increasing had nothing to do with his roommate's warm hand. "You know I'm getting thirsty we could stop and rest for a bit." He offered as they got closer.

"If we stop now we'll have to cover lost ground," Sasuke explained.

They were inches from stepping onto the first wooden plank when at last Naruto pulled his arm free. "No there's no way I'm crossing that thing!" He declared backing away until his back hit a tree.

Sasuke's cold look stopped Naruto in his tracks. Naruto believed Sasuke only possessed two emotions; ignorance and smart. Sometimes Naruto couldn't be sure what his roommate was thinking, but as he looked into Sasuke's onyx eyes was unmistakable. "He's really angry this time."

"Fine suit yourself." Sasuke turned his back and started walking away.

Each step Sasuke took made Naruto more uneasy, by the time his rival got to the halfway point his heart was beating so hard Naruto thought his chest was going to burst. "No, what is Sasuke doing, doesn't he know it's not safe?" He fretted. Before the blond could think about it his legs started moving all on their own. As soon as Naruto got close enough he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist.

* * *

When Sasuke felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist he wasn't sure how to react at first. "What is this idiot playing at?" Sasuke the Uchiha asked himself. As he tried to understand he heard Naruto mumble under his breath.

"Sorry Sasuke, but I can't let you do this." His voice sounded a little muffled. Before Sasuke could question Naruto started roughly dragging back in the opposite direction. Sasuke didn't care about the record anymore underestimated just how strong his classmate was. began to panic. "Get off me!" Sasuke demanded. The pair froze when they heard a sicking crack beneath their feet. Naruto stopped pulling him back, seconds later they were falling before both teenagers plunged into the water.

Natural Instincts kicked Sasuke surface, the strong current had already carried him a few meters from the bridge. The Uchiha started to swim for the shoreline. The strong current made it feel like he'd been swimming for miles when at last his feet found the riverbed and he could pull himself out of the water. Once he was safely on dry land, Sasuke panted heavily his limbs ached much more than should they should be. "I've allowed my body to weaken since I haven't been keeping up with my fitness." He realized. "We wouldn't even be in this situation if Naruto hadn't tried to pull me back in the first place. Just what was that idiot's goal anyway?" He wondered.

As the teen tried to make sense of everything the sound of splashing broke Sasuke out of his stupor, looked up and saw Naruto floundering in the water. Despite the cold water seeping into his skin, Sasuke couldn't help but mock Naruto's atrocious technique. "What is that idiot up to now?" Sasuke ignored his roommate and turned his attention to his waterlogged clothes. When he checked on Naruto again, his teammate still hadn't made any headway, a couple of things caught Sasuke's attention.

Firstly, Naruto wasn't using his legs, he looked as though he was trying to climb a ladder and lastly his struggles were getting weaker. Another few seconds passed before the awful realization hit the Uchiha. "Oh god, he's drowning," Sasuke realized. The teenager frantically looked for something he could throw the blond. "Damn it what do I do? If I go out there he'll probably drag me down too." As Sasuke assessed the situation Naruto starting to sink.

"There's not enough time, I need to do something fast." With time running out Sasuke threw off his jacket and shoes all he could see was his yellow hair. "Oi, don't you dare give up, I'm coming!" Sasuke hoped his voice would reach his rival. Just as the teen went to dive in, Kakashi came running down the path towards them. His teacher didn't even bother removing any of his clothing before he jumped into the river.

Before Sasuke could follow his instructor into the water a strong force dragged him away. "No, stay here you'll only get in Kakashi's way." Sasuke stopped struggling when he heard the ANBU captain's harsh voice.

Yamato pulled him back up the riverbank Sasuke flashed Yamato a fierce glare. "How can he just stand here?" He asked himself. When Sasuke looked back into the water he saw Kakashi had already reached Naruto just as the blond went under. Kakashi lifted Naruto's head above the water and with one arm swam on his back.

It had taken nearly all of Sasuke's strength to just get to shore, but Kakashi made it look effortless.

Yamato refused to loosen his grip until Kakashi was within reach Sasuke ready to help Kakashi only for Yamato to once again push him aside.

The teen froze when he saw Naruto's pale skin and blue lips. "He...he...looks awful." Sasuke kept his distance while both instructors rolled Naruto into the recovery position. As soon as he was rolled on to his side, Naruto broke into a violent coughing fit. The raven felt completely helpless while he watched both the ANBU captain and his teacher focused all their attention on the ill teenager. Kakashi gently rubbed Naruto's back until the coughing subsided.

"Shhh, it's ok Naruto, just breathe." Kakashi soothed.

Yamato seemed satisfied that Kakashi had everything under control. "I'll call an ambulance, keep Naruto talking," Yamato ordered walking away.

All eyes were on Naruto when he tried to speak. His voice a far cry from his usual loud tone. Sasuke needed to strain his ears so he could make out what Naruto was saying. "Sasu...where's Sasu?" Naruto rasped.

Sasuke and Kakashi weren't the only ones surprised by Naruto's calls. Yamato pulled the phone away from his ear his face became almost as white Naruto's. "Was there someone else in the water with you?" The ANBU captain frantically scanned the river searching for any signs of a third person.

Before anyone else could enter the water, Kakashi went to calm his former comrade. "It's alright Yamato, I think I know who Naruto's calling for," the instructor went back to comforting his anxious student. "Shhh, it's ok, Sasuke's alright, he's standing right here." The instructor reassured.

Kakashi's explanation left Sasuke even more baffled. "That doesn't make any sense," As Sasuke tried to find another find another explanation, the teen recalled he'd heard Naruto say that odd name before. "That night when I had that dream, he said it back then too." Back then, Sasuke had been too tired to care. Sasuke completely forgot Naruto was still searching for him. "Yeah, I'm here usuratonkachi." He said bending down next to the Orange-clad.

Life seemed to pour back into those azure eyes. Naruto's smile faltered a little. "Blood," he whispered reaching up to touch Sasuke's cheek his fingers came away red.

Sasuke looked down he saw tiny red dots on the forest floor. "Please no," Sasuke could already taste the bile in his mouth. The Uchiha's hand trembled as he touched the back of his head. Sasuke didn't have time to do his breathing exercises face down on the forest floor. Sasuke was able to stay awake just long enough to hear Kakashi's alarmed voice before his world went dark.

* * *

With Guy eagerly volunteered to teach the ANBU some hand to hand combat. The laid-back instructor considered sneaking away to a quiet place to read his book. Yamato offered to show Kakashi some of their old haunts decided to take his former partner on his offer. Whether it was luck or fate that brought Kakashi to that specific area, the ex-ANBU captain was thankful he'd agreed to join his friend, otherwise, today could've ended very differently.

Every so often Kakashi would glance at the bed next to him. Weeks could pass by when Kakashi didn't hear Sasuke say a word in class. But this was different. The teenager didn't even flinch when the nurse stitched his gash and continued to stare blankly ahead. Another few minutes passed until Sasuke formed a sentence. "Where did they take Naruto?" He asked, his student's voice seemed to tremble.

"I don't know, Sasuke," Kakashi answered truthfully. he'd followed the medics down the maze of corridors, even when the doctors prevented him from going any further Kakashi didn't take his eye off his student until the heavy doors swung shut. After that, the instructor vaguely recalled his comrade guiding him to a ward. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto only seemed to deteriorate during the journey to meet with the ambulance.

"What's taking them so long, the water wasn't that cold?" Sasuke pointed out impatiently.

Kakashi snapped his book shut at Sasuke's comment his classmate ANBU training. "Drowning is very serious, Sasuke," he said sternly. The laid-back instructor couldn't remember last time he'd raised his voice like this. "Hypothermia isn't the only danger. It's very possible Naruto swallowed water, there's a chance some of that fluid found its way into his lungs. If that's the case, then the doctors will need to stabilize his oxygen levels before they can thoroughly examine him." Kakashi could see his words had left their mark.

"If you're that concerned then why are you lying around with me, shouldn't you be with Naruto?" Sasuke demanded.

Kakashi studied his student for a moment trying to gage Sasuke's intentions. "Believe me, if it wasn't for my worry wort of a comrade I'd be with Naruto now." Yamato had all but handcuffed him to the bed. Sasuke went back to staring at the wall again and he returned to reading his novel. By now the adrenaline had worn off Kakashi began to feel the cold. He'd changed into a fresh pair of clothes, "Maybe Tenzo had a point after all." Kakashi was never going to admit that to his comrade.

The two males sat in silence until Sasuke's soft voice broke. "Why didn't he call out for help,?" The teenager asked.

Kakashi diverted his attention from his precious book to answer his student's question. "Drowning isn't like the movies," Kakashi began, keeping his tone softer this time. "When the body is struggling like that more effort is put into breathing than shouting." He explained. "Still it'a miracle Naruto was able to stay afloat as long as he did." Kakashi didn't plan on sharing that detail with Sasuke.

Just when the instructor found his place a loud familiar voice caught his attention. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Sasuke Uchiha I was told he'd been brought to this ward. I'm his brother." The voice sounded frantic. Itachi didn't even wait for the nurse to reply and raced towards Sasuke. Sasuke barely sat up before his brother pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Thank god you're alright." He heard.

Sasuke tried to free himself from his brothers' embrace, but the older sibling refused to let go struggling teen. "What are you doing here?" He demanded as he tried to pull himself out of Itachi's tight grip.

Itachi paused to catch his breath back before he answered his brother's question. "Shisui phoned me an hour ago. He told me that you and another student were taken to the hospital. He couldn't tell me which one of you was in a bad way." Once Itachi finished explaining the older brother quickly regained his composer. "What happened are you alright?" He asked his voice returning to its soft tone.

From his hospital bed, Kakashi quietly observed the pair. When Kakashi first laid eyes on Itachi he too questioned ANBU's decision to recruit a nineteen-year-old. Any doubts his team shared quickly melted away, prodigies as myths and exaggerations. He never actually thought such a person could exist. In no time at all Itachi became captain of his own team. In all that time they'd worked together, Kakashi never once saw the Uchiha shaken, until that fateful night. That day Kakashi witnessed Itachi's devotion to his little brother. "It's nice to know some things haven't changed." He smiled.

Even with his brother by his bedside Sasuke still seemed dazed. "Yeah I'm fine, I just needed a few stitches, I don't have a concussion so I can go home later." The teenager's voice still shook a little.

When his student deliberately left out the part where he fainted. Kakashi quietly observed as Itachi studied his younger brother closely. "Looks like Sasuke isn't immune to Itachi's intuition. It doesn't matter how long it takes, sooner or later Itachi will drag the truth out of him." He thought to himself.

"That's a relief, I'm glad you're safe Sasuke. What about the other boy, is he alright?" Itachi sounded genuinely concerned for his student's welfare.

Kakashi decided to speak up. "We're not sure at the moment. I think the doctors are still examining Naruto," Kakashi guessed.

Itachi racked his brains trying to remember why that name sounded so familiar. "Naruto, that name sounds familiar?" When at last Itachi remembered. "Wait, don't tell me that's the same boy who stayed with you in the ambulance." If it wasn't possible but Itachi looked even more concerned.

Sasuke nodded slowly. "Yeah, he...well." Kakashi decided to save his student from reliving the ordeal.

"Naruto got into difficulty when he fell into a river. Thankfully Yamato and I were able to rescue him in time just as Sasuke was about to jump in himself." He added. The emotion in Itachi's eyes lasted for a second. Kakashi knew exactly what was going through his friend's mind. "He's thankful Sasuke didn't go into the water, that's understandable considering what happened to his family." He thought.

"I see, well I'm glad you're alright Kakashi," Itachi's warm smile hid any fear. "Do you need me to contact anybody for you?"

Itachi's offer reminded the ex-ANBU something important. "Now that you mention it there is something, can I borrow your phone I need to contact Saratobi and update him?" He requested.

"There's no need, Saratobi-Sama already knows and he's contacted Jiraya." All three heads turned to see Iruka standing beside Kakashi. It might have been the trick of the light, but Kakashi swore he saw Iruka briefly glare in Sasuke's direction. "Naruto's stable, the doctors are just waiting for the results of his chest x-ray." He explained. "Captain Yamato's already filled me in. What I want to know is what were you two doing so far off the trail?" He questioned, no mistaking the wrath in his colleges' voice.

Itachi seemed confused. "Off the trail, I thought you said Naruto fell into a river?" No one seemed to hear the older brother's question.

With Naruto in no condition to answer questions and Sasuke still in shock, Kakashi hadn't planned on questioning his student just yet, but his subordinate's odd behaviour piqued Kakashi's curiosity. The very same sick feeling he'd experienced that morning returned with a vengeance. "I thought Iruka was just being overprotective, but now I'm beginning to think Iruka knows something," Kakashi reasoned, for the instructor decided to close his book.

Everyone turned their attention to Sasuke who looked like a child that had been dragged into the headmaster's office. A few minutes passed until the teenager broke his silence. "When Shisui gave us our maps, I took a different route so I'd get to the finish line faster. At first, Naruto refused to cross the bridge so I went on my own. He started pulling me back. We struggled and the wood gave way and we fell into the water." He revealed. "I didn't know the backpack was that heavy."

Some of the harshnesses left the instructors eyes. "I doubt that would have made any difference," All three men anxiously waited for Iruka to explain further. "Naruto can't swim," Iruka revealed at last.

Iruka's revelation caught Kakashi completely off guard. "How can that be?" he exclaimed not bothering to hide the disbelief in his voice. From the moment Naruto stepped off the bus the sharp-eyed teacher noticed his usually hyper student fidgeting and jumpy. But he never thought for a second the two things were connected. "Of course, How on earth didn't I realize this sooner." Kakashi suspected Iruka would hold him responsible. "Iruka-sensei if I'd known I would have never let Naruto out of my sight." He explained.

"You're not the one that should be apologizing Kakashi-San," Iruka reassured glaring at Sasuke.

Sasuke found Iruka's gaze impossible to avoid. No doubt his young student

"I expect you'll be wanting to see Naruto Iruka." Kakashi

Iruka blinked in surprise shifted uncomfortably. "Actually, I came to make sure you were alright and to thank you for saving Naruto," he admitted. "If you hadn't been there I don't t know what would have happened."

This show of gratitude took Kakashi by surprise, he wasn't sure how to respond to his comrade. "You know how much I hate paperwork," he said expecting Iruka to scold him for his inappropriate remark, but Iruka surprised Kakashi again when he laughed. The man tried to change the subject before Iruka noticed his rosy cheeks. "Since you're here, how are my dogs?" Kakashi asked.

The teacher breathed a sigh of relief when Iruka snorted. "You didn't tell me Pakkun was so much trouble. I never imagined I'd be outsmarted by a small pug. I swear that dog knew exactly what he was doing." He mumbled. "Guy volunteered to look after them so I could come check on you, I hope that's not a problem."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, out of all his dogs Pakkun was the smartest and at times the alpha of the group. "Sorry about him he can be a handful, I'm sorry my dogs gave you too much trouble. I'll hire a pet sitter next time." He apologized. "I better call Guy before he walks my poor dogs into the ground." Out of habit, Kakashi reached into his pocket before remembering his phone had been ruined by the water. "Erm, I don't suppose I could borrow your phone for a second?" He asked sheepishly.

When Kakashi turned to Sasuke he saw Itachi giving him a knowing look. "Curse you Itachi and your perceptiveness."

* * *

 _Beep...beep...beep_

Without opening his eyes, Naruto silently cursed at his enemy. "I can lie here for a few more minutes, besides Kakashi takes an hour to turn up." He reasoned shifting under his warm blanket. Naruto the strong smell of disinfectant assaulting his nostrils preventing him from returning to his dream. "Doesn't that germophobe give up?." As the teenager tried to ignore the odour he vowed to hide Sasuke's bleach supply.

When the beeping still hadn't stopped, Naruto let out a groan as he lazily reached for his bedside table to throw the wretched machine at the wall. Instead of touching wood his hand grabbed thin air. "Wait, where am I?" The noise got faster the more he panicked. The Orange-clad's eyes flew open to see a white room he didn't recognise and a plastic thing in his nose. Naruto went to pull the object out of his nose until a firm hand grabbed his wrist.

"Don't even think about taking that off," a stern voice commanded a strong hand gently forced Naruto back to bed.

When Naruto slowly turned his head he saw a tall man with long white hair sitting an uncomfortable looking chair. "Pervy sage?" breathing slowed down and Naruto could piece together what was going on. A quick observation told him he was in a hospital which answered most of his questions. Next Naruto tried work out why he was there. "We had a trip," he recalled. "Sasuke walked out on a bridge, then we..." Everything came flooding back to the teen. "How long have you been sitting there?" He asked, his dry throat couldn't produce anything louder than a whisper.

Jiraya stretched out his stiff back. "Hiruzen called me yesterday afternoon, you've been asleep since I got here," he explained. His godfather crossed his arms. "I don't know why I bothered to rush here, you rarely call me these days." Jiraiya pointed out, it was meant to sound irritated, but Naruto could tell his guardian wasn't being serious.

"Sorry, I've been getting a lot of homework lately," he apologised. Naruto checked the rest of the beds searching for any sign of his roommate. He remembered Sasuke passing out next to him. Almost too afraid to ask his guardian. "Do you know if Sasuke and Kakashi-Sensei are ok?" Naruto asked nervously.

"Oh, your roommate and teacher, are fine. Kakashi came by last night and asked how you were while you were asleep. Sasuke's got a few stitches, but nothing serious they discharged him last night. That's nothing compared to what Iruka would have done if he'd got his hands on him." Jiraiya's tone alone was enough to tip Naruto off his godparent knew something.

No words were exchanged and yet both of them knew what the other was thinking. "From that look on your face, you really didn't know. That particular area of the forest was off limits because of the heavy rainfall. Sasuke admitted to changing the map so he could win a race." He explained, "They'll be a meeting today to discuss Sasuke's punishment, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes that's for sure." His godfather finished.

Naruto stared at the ground while everything sank in. "What's wrong with me? I should feel like punching Sasuke in the face for putting me through all that, but I don't," By now the teenager had given up trying to understand his feelings. Instead, Naruto thought back to Sasuke's behaviour yesterday. "That explains why Sasuke kept the hold of the map. Why didn't you just tell me?" He thought miserably. As much as Naruto sympathised with Sasuke he also understood why his guardian and Iruka were angry. "I never told Sasuke couldn't swim. When I thought I was going to sink I heard Sasuke's voice. He was coming back for me." Naruto defended. "They won't expel him will they?" He asked.

"You know I just can't understand you sometimes, before all this happened you were always complaining about your classmate, now you're defending him." He mentioned. "What's going on?" His godfather accused.

Naruto knew his godfather wasn't going to leave until he got an explanation. "A few nights ago I saw someone put something into Sasuke's drink. When I finally caught up with them they'd already started beating Sasuke. I couldn't just stand by and watch while they rap..." Even weeks after the incident Naruto still, couldn't bring himself to say the word.

Jiaraya hadn't said a word while Naruto relived that night, the long silence was making Naruto anxious. Jiraiya let out a long sigh. "Stop being hard on yourself, if you hadn't been there that night who knows what could've happened. If you're worried about the meeting don't be, when I the old man won't be too harsh on him." He reassured gentle and didn't sound disappointed. "Now that I've had peace and quiet I've finally finished my latest novel, I was about to start my new book tour. But with you in this condition, I'll just postpone it." He said.

Naruto sat up and pulled his oxygen mask off. "You can't-do that, you've worked too hard to finish that pervy novel of yours. Besides I'm fine, they'll discharge me soon and I'll just go back to campus." His guardian's smile from before faded.

"Do I look like was born yesterday?" He asked. "If I left you to your own devices second you'd just go back to school the second my back was turned. Unfortunately for you, Saratobi-Sama wants you to take it easy for a few days." Jiraiya smirked at his godson's horrified reaction.

Naruto shook his head at the idea. "No, if I lie stay off too long I'll fall behind." He went to jump out of bed but his actions set off another coughing attack. While he gasped for breath Jiraiya started rubbing his back until the coughing fit subsided, before gently pushing him back into bed.

"Think again, you're staying put until the doctor tells me you're well enough to leave. After that, I'm taking you home to look after you. If you behave maybe I can smuggle you in some ramen later." Jiraiya promised.

"No, if you don't go on this book tour your fans will riot." Naruto noticed a slight break in his godfather's mask. "I'm not a little kid anymore, I can manage. Just think of all the single ladies you'll get to meet on the way." If this couldn't tempt Jiaraya to leave nothing would. Just when Naruto thought the man had reconsidered his godfather smirked.

"Now that you mention it it's been awhile since I spent time with my target audience." His eyes hardened once again. "Fine, but before I go, I'm going to give Iruka and Kakashi my contact details. If you get into any trouble I'm coming straight home." He promised.

After an awkward hug and goodbye, his godfather left. Naruto couldn't risk escaping just yet, "That old pervert's probably standing outside the door." The blond agonising wait clock when thirty minutes passed he put his plan into action. Firstly the teenager removed the irritating oxygen mask. "I don't need bed rest, all I need is some fresh air." Next Naruto didn't even wince as he carefully pulled out his IV in his arm. Once changed into a fresh pair of clothes, Naruto stumbled towards the front desk and demanded to be discharged.

After a long night shift the tried nurse searched through his notes on the computer she gave him a sympathetic smile. "Sir, you should really reconsider leaving. You've got fluid in your lungs, there's a chance you could get a chest infection and the doctors want to talk to you." She said the last part very carefully.

Naruto rolled his eyes at the woman's warnings. "Just give me some antibiotics and I'll be fine." The orange-clad immediately regretted snapping at the kind nurse, the smell of disinfectant and illness was making the teen feel sick. "I need to get to that meeting, maybe they won't be so hard on Sasuke if I explain that he tried to save me." He hoped.

"Yes, we can do that for you, but the doctor still wants to speak with you." She repeated.

For a moment Naruto couldn't see why a doctor would need to speak to him about a chest infection. "The cuts, they must have seen them," the teenager realised. No doubt they'd start asking questions. "Please, I don't need to talk to the doctors, I just want to go home." He pleaded.

The nurse sighed heavily in defeat. "Alright, I can't stop you from leaving, however, there's still a chance your condition could worsen." She insisted. "Is there anyone that can stay with you?" The woman asked.

Naruto thought about it he remembered his godfather's words and realised he couldn't go back to campus. Just as Naruto coming up with a lie a familiar voice called to him. "He can stay with me."

Even though part of his head was covered in white bandages there was no mistaking those piercing eyes and pale skin.

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 **Thank you, everyone, for reading the new chapter hope you all enjoy. I am so sorry this chapter took so long, my laptop broke for a while.**


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